


Team Player

by AvatarAang7



Series: Team Player [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Homophobia, Homosexuality, Smut, Teenage Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-08-14
Packaged: 2018-04-06 15:50:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 87,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4227750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvatarAang7/pseuds/AvatarAang7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Korra's life is uneventful until a new girl shows up out of the blue, making Korra question herself and the life around her. Legend of Korra AU. [KorraxAsami], [KorraxOpal]. The cover art was made by AvatarKya. Rated M for a surplus of swearing and explicit sex scenes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dinner and a Movie

"Korra, you need to get dressed up, right now."

Korra turned around, angry that her mother just barged into her room like that. "Jesus Christ mom, ever heard of knocking? And no, I'm not getting ready, I'm busy."

"Watch your language young lady. And I can hear that you're not busy, you're playing video games."

Korra was growing more impatient with every passing second. "So what? It's online, I can't pause it just like that. And why would I even need to dress up?"

Senna was also starting to get impatient with her daughter. "Tenzin invited us over for dinner, and you're going with us."

_Fucking marvelous._  Korra sighed. "Do I have to? You always force me to pretend to enjoy myself around those little brats."

"Little...?" Senna was surprised, but quickly regained her composure. "Tenzin's children are very respectable children. And if you dislike them so much, why do you babysit them two nights a week?"

"I don't babysit them, they're fast asleep by the time I get there, so all I have to do for two hours is watch TV, then Tenzin pays me a fuck-ton of money and I'm on my way again."

"Young lady,  _language._  You are coming with us to this dinner and I will not have you show up at the house majority whip's place dressed like a bum. Now get ready, we leave in one hour."

Korra sighed again, but her mother's tone made it very clear to her that she didn't want an argument over this, for as far as it could still be avoided. She heard the door slam, and turned back to her game of Call of Duty 4. Team Deathmatch, and because of her efforts, they were winning before she was interrupted.  _Great. Now we're on the back foot again. Time to break out the big guns._  She settled on the Barrett .50cal, and found herself a nice vantage point. Three headshots later, her mood had calmed significantly.  _Whoever thought of the idea to put that splatter on the white wall after a headshot deserves a fucking medal. God, that's satisfying._

Three minutes later, Korra made the final kill, securing their victory, but only just. Ignoring several racist and/or sexist comments, she logged off and found herself in front of her dresser. Korra never really put much effort into her clothing, and the contents of the wardrobe consisted mostly of game- or movie-related T-shirts. Everything fancy she had, was an idea from her mother. Except for one. She had one dress that she knew her mother hated, mostly because it was cut lower than she would deem fit some situations, but it wasn't risky enough for Senna to tell her to wear something else. It was sleeveless, mostly dark blue, save for the openings, which were all lined with a white band. There was also one white band running down the front, making her appear taller. It reached just above her knees, making it perfect for the situation.

She quickly exchanged her Half-Life 2-shirt and sweatpants for the dress and ventured out towards the bathroom to make something of her hair and her make-up. Well, for as far as she could be bothered with it. Her natural tan paired with her ice-blue eyes meant that too make-up much would stand out like a sore thumb, a fact for which Korra was immeasurably grateful; it gave her an excuse not to wear any. She brushed her hair and decided down would be best for now.

Korra went downstairs and found her mother putting the final touches on a pie. Senna noticed her coming in, and Korra couldn't help a slight smile at the way her mother disapprovingly rolled her eyes. Even though she turned her attention back to her pie, she still spoke to Korra, "Don't forget to lock Naga again, last time around she ate half of my flowerbed."

Korra let out a sarcastic sniff. "Yeah, that was quite impressive for a little rabbit, don't you think?" There was no response, so Korra just went outside to the back of the garden, when a voice came over the fence. "Hey Korra! Nice dress, where are you going?" It was Mako, her neighbor who was a year older than her. They had been living next to each other for over ten years now, and they had been friends from the start.

"Naga's pen. Say Mako, you happen to have a rope, around six foot long, with a noose at the end?"

"That bad, huh?"

"Dinner with the house majority whip, which means I have to entertain three of the most obnoxious little brats in DC for three hours. And the worst part, is I'm not even getting paid for it."

Mako laughed. "That's what you want the rope for? I'm gonna be stuck with Bolin and his psycho-girlfriend for the foreseeable future, I need it more than you do."

"Amateur. Just lock yourself in, he can manage."

"Tell you what, why don't you come over after your dinner? We'll have few beers, watch a dumb movie, and try to forget it all."

"You got a deal, Mako. As long as you're buying, that is."

"Cool. See you tonight."

"Later." Korra smiled. She knew she could always count on Mako, and it was mutual. He was actually one of very few things in her life both her parents approved of, regardless of form and function. Of course, they wouldn't approve any more if they would find out he was giving her beer despite the fact that she was seventeen, so she always made sure to keep that a careful secret. But they liked that he could be polite, and that he and Korra genuinely got along.  _Because he's the only person in the world who does, you retard._  She sighed at the realization. Even if she didn't get along terribly well with Bolin, she would make that sacrifice as a favor to Mako. He was buying her beer, after all.

Dinner went roughly the same in reality as it went in Korra's head. The part she was looking forward to the most, save for going home, was the food itself. Even though Pema may have given birth to three little monsters, she was an excellent cook.  _Look on the bright side, you're eating coq-au-vin, if you would have stayed at home, it would have been ramen noodles. That makes dealing with these brats worthwhile, right?_  Korra felt at her leg and was cursing herself for not wearing a pantyhose of sorts, meaning all the bruises sustained during the past hour would show by the time they would leave the table.  _Actually, scratch the previous question. How in the world can a five year-old boy kick_ that _fucking hard?_ Even though Tenzin did berate him for it, he was at it again five minutes later.  _It's going to hurt for a while._

Pema called them all to the table, and mercifully, Korra managed to find a spot at the table neither next to or across from any of the children. She sat at the end of the group on the long dinner table, with Tenzin on her left and her mother across from her.

Since Tenzin didn't know very well how to talk to Korra, and with Korra making no efforts to engage in any form of conversation, he couldn't help but resort to small talk. "So, Korra, I hear you're doing well in history and economics. That's a good combination, we could use you on Capitol Hill."

"I'm not actually planning on climbing the Hill."

A silence fell between them. Her mother noticed it, and gave her a kick under the table.  _Fuck, one more bruise won't matter at this point, so help your fucking self!_  "I actually haven't really thought about what I'm going to do after graduation."

"Shouldn't you start with that? If you keep it you'll be done with high school by the end of next year."

"I was actually leaning more towards taking a year off in between. Travel the world, see what's out there."  _Get_ far _away from you people._

Senna looked surprised. "And when were you planning on telling this to me and your father?"

"When it became relevant." Korra glanced at the disapproving looks she got from both her parents. "It was only an idea in my head, not a plan on the table."

Pema, who was sitting at the head of the table, trying to keep her two youngest children at bay, actually came to Korra's aid. "I think by the time it does become relevant, you'll be old and wise enough to make your own decisions."

Korra smiled. It was a strange combination, a congressman with a woman who owns a small business in organic tea and soap, but they made it work, despite the sixteen year age gap. For some reason, she could always get along with Pema. Despite the *ahem* exuberance of their children and Tenzin's mostly boring attitude, Pema seemed to be someone Korra could have a normal conversation with. She was a good listener and despite the hippie-esque nature of her shop, had both feet planted solidly on Terra Firma.  _Maybe qualities you could learn a thing or two from._

"Thank you, Pema, I appreciate that."

Her father was not pleased with this. "Young lady, just because you will be of age when you graduate, does not mean your mother and I won't have a say in it."

Korra could tell her mother didn't like where this conversation was going. "Tonraq dear, let's not have this discussion now, and instead focus on the delicious food Pema prepared for us."

_Gee. Subtle._

After dinner, most of which Korra was  _thank Jesus in heaven_  able to enjoy in silence, Tonraq and Tenzin retreated to the whip's study while Pema and Senna put the children to bed. She just played on her phone for a while, when it suddenly buzzed. It was a text from Mako.

" _Where are you? Bolin and Psycho make me want to look for that rope!_ "

She texted back: " _Still stuck at Tenzin's. I'll see if I can be cut short._ "

Right on cue, her mother and Pema returned, and Korra wasted no time. "Mom, could you and dad take a cab back to the house? I'm the designated driver anyway and I really need to go."

"Where is this suddenly coming from?"

"Uhh, because it's Friday night, and I have a life?"  _Yeah right, who are you kidding?_  Senna seemed to share the thought, as she raised a questioning eyebrow. "Please? Mako and I agreed to hang out tonight, and he just texted me that his brother is driving him up the wall." Korra put on her biggest puppy-dog eyes, which occasionally helped, and this was one of the lucky cases.

"Alright, but be careful, and be back in our house at a reasonable hour."

"Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She went in to give her mother a hug, and Senna smiled. She pulled the car keys from her purse, gave them to Korra, and she sprinted out, grabbed her jacket in one swift motion and made for the car.

The dull hum of the six-cylinder Volvo diesel engine normally wasn't very exciting, but Korra always enjoyed it if she was behind the wheel. She had her own car, a fifteen-year-old Audi A3, but her father's V60 had over thrice the power, and Korra could feel the difference. She quickly drove home, switched back from the dress into sweatpants, grabbed her flash drive with her impressive collection of movies and on the dot of ten pm, called Mako to let her in.

Mako's place was messy, as usual. He was alone with his brother, since he was forced to move his grandmother into a retirement home last year. He and his brother lived with his grandparents ever since his own parents died in a car accident thirteen years ago. The house had been paid off, and their parents had left them a considerable sum of money, so they didn't have to worry about a thing.

"Korra!" He immediately gave her a firm hug. "Thank God you're here. I was about ready to slit my wrists in there."

Korra couldn't help but smile at Mako's desperation. "Oh come on, Eska isn't  _that_  awful, right?"

"Are you kidding me? She spent the whole evening playing with a switchblade. A fucking switchblade! But I can't do a goddamn thing about it because Bolin likes her."

"Sacrifices must always be made for the greater good, my friend. Shall we go?"

"Yeah, sure."

They went up to Mako's room, which was on the garden side of the house. He made no efforts hiding his considerable assets, given the soft hum of the big-ass flat screen TV on the wall, the PlayStation 4 underneath, the impressive collection of baseball memorabilia and his skeet shooting trophies and equipment.

"How do you pay for all this? I mean, I know your parents left you some money, but you don't work and you can't pay for _this_  lifestyle with it."

"That's called investing, Korra. I spread the money out over various companies and in return, they turn it into more money."

"Maybe I should get into that."

"Maybe you should." He quickly changed the subject. "Beer?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

He just smiled and threw her a can. Korra fumbled with it more than she would care to admit, but managed not to drop it and even to open it without spilling beer all over the room. She let herself fall into his couch, which was God-knows-how-old, but was probably one of the most comfortable things in the world.

Mako raised an eyebrow. "Long night? You seem lazier than usual, and that's saying something."

She purposefully ignored his quip and threw the flash drive at Mako while taking a sip of her beer. "How about Pacific Rim? Haven't see that one in a while."

"Sure, why not?" He plugged the drive into his TV, and fired the movie up. Positioning himself on the couch next to Korra, Mako pulled up a footstool, giving them the  _most_  comfortable position possible. Korra actually missed most of the movie, given that she was a little preoccupied with her beer (Mako made sure she always had a full can.) and annoying Mako by tickling the underside of his foot with her own. "Come on Gipsyyyyy! Kick his ass!" shouted in a fake Australian accent pulled her back into the movie. It was an awesome spectacle, watching a building-sized robot beat the living shit out of an equally big monster, with a freighter, all awhile destroying Hong Kong. She stood up to grab a fourth beer, but fell right back into her seat unable to keep her balance, causing Mako to get a big smile on his face.

"You know, you might to take it easy if you don't want your parents to notice what you've been up to here."

"You think they'll notice?"

"Please, anyone can spot your drunk ass from a mile away. I suggest you hold up here until you can walk in a straight line again. Plus, I don't want to get into any trouble. They'd probably kill us if they found out."

Korra smiled. "Nah, they'd only kill you. I'd just be grounded for the rest of time." She scooched in closer to Mako and let her head rest on his shoulder. She closed her eyes for a moment, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

"Korra, wake up!"

She was woken up by Mako's voice, surprisingly soft for someone his size. "W- What?" she asked, still half asleep.

"It's one thirty in the morning, and you're starting to drool on my shoulder."

_Great job, you idiot._  Now fully awake, she shot upright and wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth. "Oh Mako, I am so sorry. Do I..."

He raised his hand to silence her. "No you don't. The only thing you need to do is go home."

_As stated. Luckiest asshole in the world._  "Yeah, listen thanks for waking me up." Korra quickly slipped on her shoes and rushed downstairs. The light in the living room was still on, so Bolin hadn't gone anywhere. She waved to Mako as she burst out the front door. "See ya!"

Korra hadn't even stepped out of Mako's house or she'd already seen that the lights were also on in her own house. That could only mean one thing: at least one of her parents was waiting for her.  _Well, no point in putting it off, time to go and face the music._  She made no attempts at getting upstairs silently, their front door could be heard closing at the other end of DC. So Korra decided to step into the living room with her head held high.

Senna was sitting on a chair, facing the door. Korra noticed a book and a half-full glass of wine on the table beside her, indicating she had been waiting there for some time. "I told you to be home at a reasonable hour."

"I don't think one thirty is  _that_  unreasonable."  _Great idea. Give her a big mouth, that should lighten the mood._

"You didn't call, no text, nothing. Your father and I were worried."

"You knew where I was! You could have just walked over there and knocked, it's literally ten yards out the front door!"

Her mother was getting visibly angry with her. "That's not the point! I let you go, despite you not having made any attempt to earn it, and then you blatantly ignore my every instruction!"

"Then you should have been more specific, this is my interpretation of a reasonable hour."  _Here we go._

"Regardless, you have tennis practice at nine tomorrow, and you should have let us know how long you'd be out."

_Fuck. Tennis practice. Completely forgot about that. Should be good, the loud indoor hall with a mild hangover._  "Fine. Can I go to bed now?"

"You're not setting another foot in that place for the next two weeks. Understood?"

"Mom!"

" _Understood?_ " Her mother's tone had grown demanding enough for Korra to realize it'd be best if she didn't argue. "Yes..." She turned around and walked upstairs, not caring that she probably woke her father up by slamming the doors.


	2. The Green Bentley

Saturday morning is not supposed to start off with an alarm. It's like swearing in church. But here it was, because Korra had to go and pretend to enjoy herself for an hour before finally being able to relax again.  _Whichever genius had the idea to make me wake up this early on Saturday morning can go fuck himself. The morning ... is ... evil._ She slammed her hand on her alarm clock, shutting it down, and stumbled out of bed.

It wasn't even her decision to play tennis. Her parents forced her to pick  _a_  sport, probably more to get her out of the house than anything else. Tennis seemed like the lesser of quite a few evils, not in the least because it didn't involve physical contact of sorts. She quickly showered, before putting on her shorts and crisp white polo.

Traffic was ridiculous for a Saturday morning. Apparently, there was some sort of open air art exposition, and seemingly the entire city wanted to go there. Why anyone would organize something in the open air in November was slightly beyond Korra.

She arrived at the hall where she always trained, and parked next to a British Racing Green Bentley Continental. Careful not to dent the 200.000 dollar machine, she left through the passenger side of her car, awkwardly fumbling with the gearlever.

Inside the lobby, Korra realized she was running late. She ran into the hall, and saw that she was just in time for the first exercises. Immediately something stood out. There was an additional person in the group. Normally there were only four of them, Adi, Umi, Ula and Korra. Kuvira, her coach, turned around when she heard Korra come in.

"Ah, Korra, better late than never. I want to introduce you to your newest training mate: Asami Sato."

Korra looked up from unpacking her stuff. Asami, apparently, was a touch taller than she was, only the division was different. She had long, slender legs protruding from a short light blue skirt, round hips, matching polo over an obviously necessary sports bra, emerald green eyes, and long, pitch-black hair.  _Wow, she's gorgeous. Wait, what?_  "Oh, uh, hi, I'm Korra." They shook hands.  _You're staring, you moron._  She quickly averted her gaze and turned to Kuvira again at the realization. "Did I miss much?"

"No, it was only a small introduction round. You were just in time for the actual training."

"Good." After hitting a few balls across the net, they practiced the backhand, tricky for everyone. Asami seemed to be fairly good, and at when they went to play a normal game, Korra was up against her.

She could see Asami smile from the other end of the court, and her service was like a cannonball. Perfectly placed, Korra never had even a shred of hope of stopping a service like that.  _Fuck, Novak Djokovic would get scared if he saw a shot like that._

"Jesus Christ, take it easy!"

A chuckle came from across the field. "I've been playing since I was six, so don't be patronizing, if you'd please."

Korra smiled back, and assumed a more serious stance. This time, she was ready for another cannonball, and it came, but Korra held it. Just. Three rallies later, her hand and arm were stinging like hell.  _Man, am I out of shape._  "Could we switch opponents?"

Asami smiled. "If you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen."

_It's not the kitchen that's the problem, it's the oven which is set to a million degrees._  But Korra just kept silent and slumped over to the other court.

The rest of the session went over quickly, and Korra made a beeline for her car after quickly grabbing her stuff, as usual. The other three girls typically stayed for a while afterwards, and Korra never had any inclination to join them.

After yelling at several other drivers, two pedestrians, and three buses, Korra pulled into the safety of her own driveway again.  _Finally some peace and tranquility._

She took a quick shower and slid into an "I am the Stig" shirt and her usual pair of sweatpants. She looked out the window and saw something she definitely wasn't expecting: that same British Racing Green Bentley was parked in front of Mako's driveway.

_You have got to be shitting me._

The thought hadn't left her head or the doorbell rang. Korra opened up and it was indeed, Asami. She had changed from her tennis clothes into a very stylish grey legging, 300 dollar boots from the looks of it, a dark red skirt, black leather jacket and she had also had a chance to fix her make-up, with red lipstick and purple eye shadow.  _How can anyone do that so quickly? Fidel Castro would laugh at me for how I look and here she is, more fashionable than Victor & Rolf!_

"A- A- Asami... What are you doing here?"

"Just came by to return this." She held up Korra's wallet. "You dropped it after training and left before I had a chance to give it back."

"Oh, ummm, thanks... I guess?"  _Wow, way to show gratitude, you fucking autist._  "Would you... like to come in for a cup of tea or something?"

"Uh, sure, that'd be nice."

Korra opened the door completely and let Asami in. As they went into the kitchen, Korra was slightly puzzled. _You ignored her throughout most of the practice and yet here she is, driving all the way across town through murderous traffic just to give you back your stupid wallet. Your luck of falling flat on your face over great people is gonna run out some day._

"How did you know where I live?"  _Really. THAT's you first question?_

Asami ignored how stupid it seemed to Korra. "I just looked on your drivers' license, it has your home address on it. Just enter it in the sat nav, and you're done."

"Oh." Korra already started up the water heater when she got home, she always drank tea after practice, so she could quickly made a pot of tea.

Asami was unfazed by Korra's blank response. "I just moved here. At least it's a good opportunity to explore the city a little."

"Really? Where'd you move from?"  _Finally, you've proven that you are in fact, a human being._

"Los Angeles. My father is an industrialist, and he's getting more and more into politics. He wanted to be closer to the actual seat of power."

"You don't sound like you mind all that much."

"Well, I'm graduating this summer, and I'm going to college anyway. I had my eye on the John Hopkins University, that's only an hour by car from my house.

"And not just any car. That's a 200.000 dollar Bentley."

Asami looked impressed. "You know your cars."

Korra let out a sly smile. "Well, you know..." and she gestured to her shirt.

"I am the Stig... Am I supposed to know what that means?"

"He's... Yeah, if you don't watch Top Gear, I could spend all morning explaining him."

Asami took the last sip of her tea. "Speaking of cars, mine is parked in front of your neighbors, so I should probably get going, before I start an argument."

"Nah, don't bother. He's a good guy, and the only person in the world lazier than me."  _Great job selling yourself there._  "It's eleven in the morning on Saturday, he normally isn't even out of bed at this hour."

Asami smiled and brushed off Korra's comment. "Regardless, I should get going. My father is probably waiting for me, and in this traffic, it'll be half an hour before I get home again."

Korra was kind of sad she had to go already. "Alright. Anyway, thanks for bringing my wallet back, I mean, think of all the stuff I'll need it for."  _Not a fucking thing, because you'll spend the rest of the weekend in your room trying to unlock the Golden Uzi._

"You're welcome. See you later!" Asami walked out the front door, and Korra spied Mako from the corner of her eye, waiting by his car.

_Great._ The _one fucking Saturday morning he has to leave early and I make him wait for my piss-poor attempt at a social life._

She closed the door, ignoring her friend, and went upstairs again. Five minutes later, her phone buzzed, and she saw that she had a text from Mako.

"I o u big time, you just got me a date!'" was the message.

_Meh, could be worse._  At least he wasn't pissed at her or Asami for making him late to whatever. She fired up Call of Duty, but found herself unable to concentrate on what she was doing. She was sloppy, getting killed often, with an unfocussed aim and constantly finding herself at the bottom end of the leaderboard. Her mind kept drifting to the text, and to Asami.  _Why am I incapable of putting those two out of my head?_

She took her headphones off and logged out of the server to call Mako. He was driving, but that never bothered him. He soon answered.

"Hey Korra! To what do I owe the pleasure of this distant conversation?"

She couldn't appreciate his sarcasm. "Your text. You might want to explain that a little more to me."

"Well, Asami blocked me from getting out my driveway with her fancy sports car. I had been waiting there for a few while, and she walked out of your house. How the hell do you know her anyway?"

"Tennis practice. I dropped my wallet and she brought it back."

He ignored how sharp her response was. "Ah. Anyway, I was getting myself ready to yell at the owner, but ended up apologizing to her instead, and then I asked her out for a drink. I mean, have you seen  _those legs_?"

Korra let out a tiresome "ugh". "Well Mako, congratulations, I guess this means you owe me."

"I guess it does. Anyway, I should probably hang, I'm not on hands-free. See ya!" With that, he hung up, not waiting for Korra's reply. Not that she felt like giving one anyway, but still.  _He_  didn't know that.


	3. Proposition

Monday. The bane of anyone's week, regardless of what you do. There is simply no joy to be held in waking up early, having to rush through a tasteless breakfast and getting dressed in stiff clothes before setting off into heavy traffic to get to a voluntary prison. But that was just Korra's interpretation.

She sighed when her alarm went off, and slammed on the clock to shut it down. Doing with all the grace and elegance of a 300-pound ballerina had cost her the snooze function two months ago, and would probably cost her the rest of the clock in the not too distant future.

Korra dressed herself in her only decent pair of jeans, a black Modern Warfare 3 T-shirt, and made sure to cover it with a grey hoodie, which had an unerasable stain in it, but she didn't care. Nobody did. Korra had always been a bit of a loner, and this made her an easy target in elementary. She had been bullied quite a lot, but when she went to middle school, where her classmates simply ignored her.

With no social circle to speak of while at school, Korra had procured herself a radiator near the gymnasiums, where no one would bother her.

Monday always started out with maths.  _What kind of planning is that? Everyone is already struggling to stay awake, and now I'm forced to sit through an hour of not wondering why anyone would spend a day rolling a dice twelve hundred times._

Next was history. They were discussing the circumstances that led to World War II, something that Korra already knew inside out. Not only that, but half of her class were such unbelievable half-wits that they only covered about half of Hitler's rise to power, stopping at the time he became Reichschancellor of Germany, in an hour.  _Are you fucking kidding me? Any semi-decent documentary can cover this in a third the time we've taken today!_  Even if World War II was Korra's speciality, this cannot be reasonably justified.

In the break, Korra made for her radiator, leaning against it, a nice source of heat.  _Winter does have its upsides._  She was about to put on some music, when a familiar voice broke her train of thoughts.

"Hey Korra. Fancy seeing you here."

_This is not fucking happening._  "Asami?"

"You know what they say:"  _Here we go._  "It's a small world after all."

"Ugh, I can't stand that song. Once you get it in your head, you're guaranteed that it will never leave." Korra said, faking annoyance.

Asami smiled. "You think you can move over a little?"

"Sure." Korra moved over, and Asami sat down, but the radiator was smaller than she thought. Asami had dressed herself with an immaculate fashion sense, with black skinny jeans, a different pair of boots, nonetheless very good looking, and a dark grey cardigan pulled over a burgundy blouse.  _Damn. Those jeans really bring out her ass - Wait, why do I keep having those thoughts?!_  They sat there, stiff against each other, and Korra was sure that if her skin tone wasn't naturally dark, she would be red as a tomato.  _Thank fuck for that._  The heat was racing through her cheeks, almost impossible to miss. But Asami didn't mention it. Instead, she found a subject Korra was  _even less_  inclined to talk about.

"So why are you all alone here?"

"Guess."  _You. Giant. Fucking. Retard. One person in the whole world actually tries to talk to you and you shoot her down._

Asami was hesitating, probably regretting asking that question so bluntly, so Korra silenced her before she could say anything.

"I've never really had anyone to hang out with, and you know, after a while, it just stopped bothering me. So I just procured this  _fine_  radiator and everyone else stopped caring as well."

Asami didn't expect a response like that, and let it sink in for a while.

Korra, not really feeling like this subject, decided to try and act like a human being again. "So how'd your date with Mako go?"

She looked a little bit surprised. "He told you about that?"

"We've been friends for years, he tells me pretty much everything. Goes both ways." It was true. She probably told Mako more than she told her parents. Of course, this was because he wasn't judgemental about anything.

"Ah, well, it was actually pretty nice. He's a nice guy. Took me out for a drink and we just really hit it off."

"That's... great."  _Way to seem genuine, dumbass._

Asami noted her doubt. "You alright with this? I mean, I'd hate to come between friends."

Korra immediately backtracked. "No, no, it's not that." She fell silent for a little while.  _Why did I even say that?_ "It's great that you liked it so much," she lied through her teeth.

Another brief silence fell. Asami tried a different path. "Say, Korra, could you tell me something?"

"What?"

"Where I can find my next classroom. I'm up for that later on, and I only just made physics in time. I could follow some people afterwards, but I don't know where anything is. I was wandering around, deciding to use my time productively when I ran into you."

Korra couldn't help a small grin at Asami's methods. "Sure. Come on, bell's going to go any minute now, I'll show you the basics of the lay-out."

They walked through the building for a couple of minutes, Korra explained how the system worked. She never really thought about it, but now that she did, it was actually kind of clever. Five "wings", lettered A through E, floors listed with a hundred number, and the individual rooms numbered with a two digit number.

"So that's how the rooms work. Where's your next class?"

Asami quickly flicked through her phone, pulling up her schedule. "A212, HST, CHO."

"That means you have Chou for history, in the A-wing, second floor, room 12. Tough luck, he's an asshole."

Asami's face fell a little. "Really? Is he at least good at teaching?"

Korra shook her head, feeling almost bad for Asami. "Hate to disappoint you, but no. I have him too, that guy can fuck up telling you who won World War 2. Completely incompetent as far as teachers go."

Asami was about to tell her something, but was stopped by the bell. Korra knew she had to go. "Asami, I'm really sorry, but I can't be late for economics, otherwise I'm in trouble."

The Sato nodded understandingly. "You go, I'll find you again later on."

Korra went off to her class, followed by an hour of French, but found herself unable to concentrate on either subject. As soon as the bell indicating lunch rang, Korra went back to "her" radiator, and Asami soon found her again, just like she said.

-"Gotta hand it to you Korra, you were right."

"'Bout what?"

-"Chou. How that guy ended up in front of a class is a mystery to me."

Korra smiled. "Doesn't take long to figure that out, does it?"

-"No it does not."

It feel silent for a little while. Then Korra remembered that Asami wanted to say something in the last break. "Asami, right before the bell went, you wanted to tell me something, what was it?"

-"Well it's just that, I'm hopeless at history. Had to find myself a tutor in LA, and I'll think I have to do the same here, but I'll see how it goes for now."

"Ah."

They spent the rest of the break talking about nothing much, until the bell rang again. After two more hours of biology and PE, Korra made her usual beeline for her car, and it wasn't until she was home that she realised she didn't wait for Asami.  _Must be a force of habit._  Regardless, Korra felt kind of guilty about it.  _Gotta apologize for that tomorrow. She spent her free time with your sorry ass and you're not exactly being grateful about it._

Korra sighed, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She just decided to do her homework, play some Call of Duty, eat dinner and go to bed.

The following week went roughly the same. Korra noticed just how...  _nice_  it was to have someone to hang out with. Tennis practice on Saturday morning consisted of more fun than Korra had in every lesson before combined, mostly because she actually had someone she got along with. Right before practice was over, Asami stopped Korra from making another mad dash for home.

-"Korra, got a minute?"

"Sure."

-"Good! Then we're staying for a drink."

_Damn. She's good._  "Really? Do I have to?" Korra groaned.

-"Yes you do, I have a proposition for you. You'll want to hear this."

They walked to the cantine, and sat down, where Korra made sure to avoid Adi, Umi and Ula. Asami bought them both a cup of tea and sat down across from Korra.

"What was this proposition?"

-"You remember how I told you I'd probably need a tutor for history?"

"Yeah..." Korra had a sneaking suspicion where this was going, but didn't say it out loud just yet.

-"I'd like to ask you to do it."

On the one hand, she was surprised, but on the other, she wasn't really. "Me? What would you want me for?"

Asami smiled. "Well, you've told  _and showed_  me that you have a knack for history, and I've had multiple tutors in the past and liked none of them."

"Doesn't really make me a qualified tutor."

Asami brushed this comment off, much to Korra's surprise. "Look, I'm not asking you to make me the greatest historian of all time. I just need to pass my exams. That means I have to master World War II and the Civil War before June, but I'm not going to be able to do that on my own. I'll pay you properly, if we can make it work."

"I have something of a job, I wouldn't do it for money."

-"And I'm a Sato, I don't need handouts."

Korra thought for a while. Weighing the pros against the cons wasn't much of an issue, since there were no real cons. Helping out a friend with something she could do in her sleep sounds appealing to say the least. Plus, the money's good, the hours are flexible and it's always dry.  _Why not?_

"Sure. I can give it a shot."

Asami flared up at this. "Thank you. I really appreciate this. Like you said, Chou is an absolute mess, so I'm basically in your hands."

Korra wasn't that enthusiastic. "Whoa there, before you get too excited, World War II is something of a specialty to me, but the Civil War is pretty vague to me as well. I can't promise you anything on that. A bunch of racist jackasses shooting each other over slavery."

Asami smiled. "You're being sarcastic here. That's my  _entire_  knowledge of the Civil War."

Korra laughed. "Looks like I have my work cut out for me then."

They sat there for a little while, but Korra didn't bring any spare clothes, and soon found it too cold to go saty any longer. Quite satisfied with her choice, she drove home to a warm shower and a lazy Saturday afternoon.


	4. Meet the Parents

The tutoring turned out to be necessary.  _Asami might suck at history, at least her judgment of herself is good._  They had been at it for a couple of weeks, and it was Friday. They had their little schooling sessions three times a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Last lesson of the week, which meant Korra would round up a subject. This week: Operation Barbarossa.

Korra had set on giving Asami a small test, making sure she actually remembered their lessons. "How did the Soviets manage to hold back the Germans?"

-"With the Scorched Earth tactic."

"Correct. How were they able to conduct this so easily?"

-"By shipping the heavy industrial machinery east, into the Ural Mountains and burning everything that couldn't be taken. From there, Stalin managed to build a new army to finally beat the Nazis back at Moscow and Stalingrad."

"Almost, but what was the actual turning point in the German invasion in Russia?"

-"The tank-battle of Kursk. From there, the Germans only went on the defensive."

Korra smiled. "I gotta hand it to you Asami, it actually sunk in. Wouldn't have said it at first, but it did."  _Good job, you basically just called her an idiot._

But Asami brushed it off. "I'll take that as a compliment, coming from you."

"I guess that's it for today then? I haven't really prepared anything else."

Asami thought for a while. "Wanna stay for dinner? My father is coming back home from a business trip in Europe, we always eat at home when he does."

A fog of doubt enveloped Korra. "Dinner? I don't know, my parents are expecting me home... sort of."

-"Don't be ridiculous. You have a phone, right? Plus, it's six in the afternoon, traffic is murder right now. If you're going to drive home, it'd be an hour before you make it. You're staying here, and that's an end of it."

 _Well, could be worse. Sato has staff to cook dinner for him, and him coming home probably means it's a good chance of a feast. Plus, means I get to spend a little more time with Asami._  "Alright then. But when was your father coming home?"

"Shouldn't be too long. I'll tell the staff to make some extra, wouldn't want you to go hungry."

They went down to the lounge, where Asami sat Korra down on a god-ugly massage chair, but  _oh sweet baby Jesus_  was that good. The Sato popped off to the kitchen, so Korra had a moment to herself in the comfort of the softly buzzing chair. She pulled her phone from her pocket and texted her mother. " _I'm staying at Asami's place for dinner. I'll call you when I'm leaving here._ " When she hit sent, she realized it was more of an announcement than a question.  _D'oh well. It's not like they can do anything about it from there._

A text came back from her mother, confirming Korra's thoughts. " _It'd be nice if you asked instead of told us. Don't stay out past ten._ "

Korra just sighed and put her phone back into her pocket as Asami came back with a drink in either hand. She handed one to Korra and sat down in the chair next to her, and activated the massaging... things.

-"I know these chairs are ugly as the night, but just sitting in them like this makes it all worthwhile for me."

"Hmmmm..." Korra couldn't bring herself to say anything more intelligent. She'd spent the entire afternoon on an moderately uncomfortable chair, and at school going from the ground to chairs that seemed to be designed to be as uncomfortable as possible. Now though, with a drink in her hand and her chair giving her a massage, she finally got around to relaxing.

They just sat there for a while, while Asami flicked on the television, not caring about what was on, when her father finally came home. She took Korra to the hall, where she finally laid eyes on Mr. Sato.

He was a large, barrel-chested man, with somewhat of a gut and a large mustache. His hair showed thick streaks of gray pulling through, and his mustache was already discoloring as well. He was dressed in a well-tailored suit, befitting a man of his means.

-"Hi dad." Asami opened. They gave each other a hug.

-"Hello Asami. I've missed you." His voice was surprisingly soft for a man of his size. When they let each other go, he looked at Korra. "And who is this?"

-"This is Korra. I invited her to stay over for dinner."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Sato." Korra extended a hand, as she walked up to him.

-"Please, call me Hiroshi. Only my employees and competitors call me Mr. Sato." He shook her hand and quickly eyed her up, before gesturing to the rest of the house. "Shall we go to the dining room? I am quite famished."

They did just that, and Hiroshi sat down at the head of the table, Asami and Korra on either side.

-"So, Korra, Asami has told me a lot about you. How is bumping her up a notch in history going?"

"Actually, it's going quite well. It's a slow process, but it's sinking in."

-"Good, good."

The opening course soon came. It was a very delicate white fish, served beautifully carved up, with finely sliced vegetables on the side and a sauce so fluffy, Korra was kind of surprised it didn't float away.

-"So dad, what was this trip about? Making sure your money is being put to good use?"

Hiroshi laughed. "Sort of. I had a meeting with the major contributors to the ITER, and then I went to England to see how JET was doing. They made some significant progress."

Asami nodded understandingly, but Korra didn't know what it was all about.  _Why do I feel like I have been living under a rock all of a sudden?_

Hiroshi must have picked up the thought, because he started his explanation. "Future Industries is one of the biggest contractors in the nuclear fusion project, which is a joint venture of over twenty countries."

Asami mouthed a quiet 'here we go' to Korra, at which she couldn't help a small smirk.

Hiroshi didn't notice it and continued his story. "JET is a fusion reactor in England, currently operational and doing research. I'm almost tempted to pull the plug on that one, their last success was nearly twenty years ago. ITER is currently under construction in France, now there's a beauty. She isn't done yet, but in a few years' time, she'll be up and running, and then we'll have infinite, clean energy before the next decade is over."

He kept focused on Korra, who looked over to Asami. The latter couldn't resist mouthing 'what have you done' at her guest.  _She's right. I gotta stop this guy, because he damn sure isn't going to stop himself._

"Hiroshi, may I interrupt, but I don't know anything about fusion and stuff. Haven't we been powering our country with nuclear energy for years?"

-"Nuclear  _fission_ , yes, but nuclear fusion is much better. Korra, tell me, you're a historian, do you know about Little Boy and Fat Man?"

"Of course I do. The nukes dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading the Americans to claim falsely they won the war."

Asami gave her a strange look. "Falsely?"

Korra tried to set her mind at ease. "We'll get to that later."

Hiroshi continued. "And would you happen to know about Ivy Mike and the Tsar Bomba?"

Another glance at Asami caught her mouthing 'don't encourage him'. Korra couldn't help a giggle.

"I wouldn't know about Ivy Mike, but the Tsar Bomba was the biggest bomb ever detonated. It was the peak of the Cold War."

Hiroshi went back into tirade mode. "Well, those dropped over Japan were fission bombs. They had a lot of radioactive fallout, killing people even today. Ivy Mike was the first hydrogen bomb, and like you said, the Tsar Bomba, actually code named Ivan, was the biggest bomb ever. They used nuclear fusion to power their explosions instead of fission. It's clean, and theoretically limitless. It's how the stars work. Basically, what we're trying to do is put the sun in a bottle, providing the world with a clean, infinite source of energy."

"Sounds like a noble motive. But I take it there's something in it for Future Industries as well?"

He smiled. "Very perceptive. Yes, if all goes to plan, Future Industries gets a stake in the energy network of the future. That would mean a high infinite stream of profits into the company. Doesn't sound bad, does it?"

"Well, you're at least honest about the whole 'evil business conglomerate-thing'."

Hiroshi laughed. "Yes, well, since the whole world knows about it anyway, why lie? It would only make for awkward dinner conversation."

Asami broke them up. "Weren't you trying to keep the whole 'evil-ness' of Future Industries to a minimum?"

-"Of course I am, but who really trusts the big corporations?"

Now it was Korra's turn to laugh. "I guess no one does. But I hope I'm not the only one at this table who sees the irony of that."

The Satos both grinned at Korra's remark.

They continued the pleasant dinner, having pheasant with cranberry-sauce as a main course, and strawberry ice cream with pepper and honey as a dessert. It was all delicious.  _This was a good idea. And to think that my parents have spent the evening breaking their jaws on under-cooked meatloaf... Shit, my parents!_

Korra glanced at the clock on her phone, which read 9:27 pm.  _Half an hour to get home. That should be enough._

"Mr. Sato..."

He directly raised his hand to stop her. "I told you, Hiroshi to my friends."

"Alright, Hiroshi, I'm really sorry, but I have to go. I promised my parents I would be home by ten and it's currently nine thirty." She stood up. "Thank you for dinner, it was delicious."

He stood up as well, and so did Asami. "Well, thank you for your company. It was my pleasure."

Korra moved towards the door, and Asami went with her. "I'll see you out." Once out of earshot of Hiroshi, Asami went in again. "Listen, you heard that Bolin broke up with Eska?"

Korra was surprised. "No, I didn't. Mako and I haven't talked that much over the past couple of weeks, he was constantly busy with you."  _If you were planning on trying to convince her that it doesn't bother you, you're doing a real fuck-up job._

Asami shared the thought, it seemed, as she careened back a little. But she regained herself quickly enough. "Well, that was a week ago, and he has been struggling with it. Mako and I decided it would be best to take him out tomorrow night and have some fun. I'd like to ask you to come."

"I don't know, the whole party-scene isn't really my thing."

-"No, we're just going into town, have a drink, try to get Bolin to move on. Nothing major. It's gonna be fun."

Korra thought for a while, and they reached the front door. "I'm going to have to ask my parents, so I'll ask them, and let you know. Deal?"

Asami looked slightly disapproving, but did a fairly good job hiding it. "Deal. See you later."

"Bye." Korra walked to her car, which was parked just out the front door, next to Asami's Bentley. As soon as she got in, she let her head slam on the wheel.  _Why does it bother me so much that Asami is going out with Mako? I don't have any grounds to judge him and even less to judge her._  She fired up the engine, and started to drive home. But the thought just wouldn't leave her mind. It wasn't that she had a crush on Mako or anything, he was just a good friend. Korra never wanted anything more to come from it, and to her knowledge, neither did he. Maybe it's just that his relationship with Asami used up time he could have spent with Korra, but that seemed unlikely. They had gone through periods where they didn't see each other that much in the past, not out of spite or anything, but just because they were busy. Or at least, Mako was. Korra made sure never to be too busy for Mako, but it never put so much stress on her before.

By the time she pulled into her own driveway, she hadn't yet finished contemplating on the subject, but tried to work it out of her head anyway. Korra glanced at the clock in her car. 9:51.  _Perfect._  She opened the door, and walked to the living room, where she found her parents on the couch watching TV. Her father looked up as Korra walked in.

-"That came out of nowhere."

"Really? I'm finally making friends out there and you shoot me down at the first chance you get?"

-"That's not it. I mean that we prepare dinner for you, and at the last minute you suddenly announce that you're not joining us."

"And I assume that by 'we' you mean mom? Because you never cook. Fuck, I'd be surprised if you know how the oven works."

-"Watch your language! That is no way to talk to your father."

Korra took a deep breath, and looked at her mother, who had dug herself in on the far corner of the couch. "I'm with your father. You could have let us known sooner."

"I didn't know sooner! I texted you the minute Asami invited me! And it was really nice, thank you for asking. I met Hiroshi Sato, and he was very kind."  _Which is more than I can say for either of you._

Senna stood up. "Korra, calm down, we're not angry, we were just a little surprised."

"Well, you're doing a bang-up job convincing me otherwise," Korra said silently through her teeth. Her father hadn't heard it, but her mother did.

-"Do you really want to blow this out of proportion?"

"I'm not blowing anything out of proportion. I just had dinner at a friend's place, so what? I'm  _trying_  to build something of a social life. Which, I should probably remind you of, took two caps to the knee the moment it was out of the gate, thanks to you."

Senna was slightly taken aback by Korra's callous response, and her eyes darted back and forth between Tonraq and her daughter, looking for a clever retort. Korra beat her to it when she stayed silent just a little bit too long.

"Now Asami invited me to go out with her tomorrow, and I'm going. Mako and Bolin are coming too, so don't worry about me."

Tonraq stood up as well. "Korra, you don't just get to tell us what we will and will not let you do. This is something you should discuss with us."

Korra was kind of shocked. " _Discuss?_  What's there to discuss? Going out for a drink with a couple of friends? Seems pretty normal to me."

-"Not the way you're bringing it here. We are your parents, Korra, and you..."

Korra interrupted him. "Maybe, but your acting more like prison wardens. When was the last time I did something like that?  _Never!_ " It fell silent for a while as both of her parents realized she was right. "I'm going. And there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop me."


	5. Black Widow

-"Korra?" Senna stood right behind Korra, who was dominating a match of Capture the Flag.

"Christ, when are you going to learn how to fucking knock?!" Korra was more startled by her mother than she was actually angry, but still. She had her headphones on, and between the sound of gunfire and airstrikes, the real world was completely shut out.

Senna just sighed, obviously fighting off the inclination to reprimand her daughter on her language, but she was slowly realizing that was a fight she wasn't going to win. "I'm not here to argue, I'm here to talk to you."

"Well believe it or not, that's how most of our arguments start." Korra was in no mood for this and had turned back to her game, in the futile hope her mother would just take the hint and leave. It was too subtle.

-"Korra, when are you going to drop the whole 'you're acting unreasonable'-act that you're holding up against us?"

"When you start acting reasonable."

-"Are we being that unreasonable? We're just trying to protect you."

"You know, there is such a thing as 'overdoing'."

-"Your father and I..." Korra didn't let her finish. "Are still acting like I'm fucking three! I grew up, and you're just holding me down."

-"Is that what this business of tonight is about? Breaking free?"

"No, it's about trying to make something of a social life happen before you two are in the fucking grave!"

-"Enough." Senna yanked the internet cable from the back of her computer, disconnecting Korra from the match she was playing.

Korra ripped her headphones off and turned around to face her mother, eyes spitting fire. "Mom! What the fuck?!"

-"I have had it with you. You are constantly disrespectful to me and your father, being callous and irresponsible, and making no effort to make this family work."

"Maybe I would respect you, if it weren't for you only telling what to do, what not to do, never asking me what  _I_ want to do. If I have to wait for your permission for everything, I might as well start choosing my headstone, 'cause it sure as hell ain't gonna happen before I'm dead."

-"You know that's not what we want. We want you to be safe, and have a future."

"Yeah, and part of a future is having friends, having a life. All I want is for you two not to be ready with a fucking score card, judging my  _every_  move."

Senna's face fell a little. "Is that really what you think all your father and I are doing? Judge you?"

"No, I heard you just fine. You're protecting me, but have you ever considered that I actually  _want_  something to happen?"

Her mother fell silent. She didn't know what to make of this. Korra let everything that she just said replay in her mind, comprehending just how much of a bitch she'd been  _to her own mother_. Still, she wasn't about to back down now, now that she had forced her mother into the perfect corner to get out of it what she wanted.

"You want to make a difference? Then start by letting me go tonight. You know Mako just as well as you know me,"  _mostly because I tell him more than I tell you_  "and you know how I really want to make this whole thing with Asami work."  _Fuck. Poor choice of words. Could be worse, though._

Senna raised a disapproving eyebrow. "'Thing with Asami'? Is there something going on?"

 _Scratch that last thought._  "Oh Jesus Christ - no! You don't pay attention to anything I say around here, do you? She's with Mako, and if you would have just climbed down from your ivory tower for a moment, you might have known that. I'm just trying to make a friend out there! And you know what, it's going pretty well, thank you for asking."

Her mother sighed again, letting her head hang. It was unbelievably tense, but she finally looked up again. "Fine. You can go. But if anything -  _anything_  - happens, you'll listen to me and your father."

"Thank you." Korra plugged the internet cable back into her computer, and demonstratively put her headphones back onto her head. She went back to the menu, choosing another game, and her mother left the room.

Team Deathmatch - Broadcast.  _My favorite. Marines. W1200 shotgun. Sprint to side door. Shoot noob who just ran out in the face. Toss in stun grenade. Shoot stunned noob. Toss back grenade. Kill two more. Run to toilets. Call in UAV. Turn around, knife unsuspecting noob. Call in airstrike. Cook grenade. Lean out past Xerox. Toss down hallway. Kill four more, two with grenade, two with airstrike. Call in helicopter._  Korra looked at the in-game timer and smiled.  _30 seconds flat. That's gotta be some kind of a record._  She got various comments of being a hacker slung to her, but she had learned to ignore them.

Although the rest of the match wasn't quite as convincing, there was never any question as to who was calling the shots.

After a couple of more rounds, all of which Korra was dominating, she looked at her phone, wich had just buzzed. It was a text from Mako. " _Asami just called, she's leaving her place now. Nearly done?_ "  _Fuck. Forgot the time. No worries, plenty of time to ready myself for tonight._  Korra quickly logged off, deciding it to be unnecessary to wear anything too fancy, so she decided on a pair of jeans, a light blue top and a dark blue sweater over it all. She quickly brushed her teeth, grabbed her coat, and figured that the slamming front door would do just fine as her announcement that she was leaving.

She rang at Mako's door, and Bolin opened up. "Hey Korra. Haven't seen you in a while. Come in."

She stepped into the living room, another testament to the fact that the brothers were living quite comfortably. There was a stylish yet comfortable couch, paired with a chair of the same style. Mako was sitting on the couch watching TV. They exchanged a quick 'hey', and Korra let herself fall into the barcalounger, and Bolin sat down next to his brother.

"So, Bolin, I heard you'd broken up with Eska?"  _Really? You couldn't say that without sounding like the Terminator?_

Fortunately, he was used to Korra's *ahem* lack of subtlety. "Well, you know, it just wasn't working anymore. The spark was gone, know what I mean?"

_No._

"Yeah. Well, sorry to hear that."

-"Meh, it's alright. I'm starting to feel better again, and I'm looking forward to tonight. It's gonna be fun. Want a drink before we go?"

"What do you have?"

He walked over to the fridge in the open kitchen at the far end of the room. "Beer? No bartender in the world would let you pass for 21, even with a fake ID."

"Beer it is then."  _Well, clearly he doesn't want to talk about Eska. D'oh well._

Bolin took one for each of them and sat down on the couch again. He tossed Korra a can, And when she opened up, let out a fake British 'cheers mate', before what looked like downing it in one gulp.  _Impressive._

They watched TV for a little while, when they heard the bell ring. It was Asami, no doubt about that. Mako raced to the door like an arrow released from a bow, and took suspiciously long letting Asami in.  _So what? She's his girlfriend, let them have their moment. At least they're not eating each other's faces off in front of you._

The couple joined them again, and sat down in Mako's corner, Asami pressed stiff against him. She was dressed in black skinny jeans,  _the ones that really brought out her ass, GoddamnitwhydoIkeepthinkingthat_ , and a leather jacket covering a nice blouse. "So, you guys want to go soon?"

"Why? You in a hurry or something?" Korra couldn't repress a smirk as she said that.

-"I'm the designated driver, by the looks of your drinks." Even if Asami disapproved of it, she was very good at covering her true opinion. "So you're kind of bound to me."

-"Well alright then," Bolin said, as he took one last swig of his beer. "Let's roll."

They decided to use Mako's old Ford Crown Victoria instead of Asami's Bentley Continental, for obvious reasons. She drove them down to a place, apparently something that she and Mako had agreed on beforehand. As soon as they walked inside, Bolin got a little nervous.

Korra noticed it straight away. "What's wrong?"

He pointed out a guy in the back. "That guy over there, Tahno, is the quarterback of Eisenhower High. They humiliated us three matches in a row. He's a dick."

Korra eyed him up. He definitely had the footballer's physique: He was big in every direction, his muscular build not really concealed in any way, shape, or form by his clothes, which seem awfully thin for November, but whatever. He looked like the kind of guy who spent  _way_  too long grooming his hair. But damned if he wasn't handsome.

They sat down at a table, and Bolin ordered their first round at the bar, forced to stick to juice and soda. It was pleasant enough for the time being. Korra was forced to confess that she still knew squat about the Civil War, a subject she was supposed to teach Asami when they were done with World War 2, which wouldn't be too long. Asami and Mako forcibly kept their smuttiness to a minimum, after Korra gave Mako a good kick under the table. Bolin was outed by Mako that he didn't really break up with Eska because of the lack of a spark, but because she was, quite simply, crazy. This of course made Mako supremely smug, something that Korra couldn't stand from him. Neither could Bolin, who went straight to the bathroom. Korra stood up to order their third round by now, and walked over to the corner of the bar, near Tahno, who she had completely forgotten about.

As soon as she had put down the glasses, he walked over to her, leaning next to her on the bar.  _A little too close, to be brutally honest._

-"Hi there. Name's Tahno."

She glanced over. "Evening." She went straight back to ignoring him. He struck her more as creepy than handsome, this up close and personal.

-"Saw you come in with Bolin. Why'd you hang out with a loser like him, when I'd be more than happy to welcome your pretty face in the winner's circle."

 _This guy really is a dick._  "That 'loser' has been my friend for the past decade. Now get lost."

He grabbed her hand, turning her around against the bar. "Hey, what are you - Let me go!"

He leaned in,  _way_  too close for comfort. His breath smelled like alcohol. "Come on honey, just gimme a chance..."

 _He has my right hand gripped like a lave. Guess left will have to do here._  She couldn't reach back very far because of the bar, but she gave him a decent hook to the stomach, which partially landed on the ribs, causing him to let go of her. Korra leaned against the bar, startled by the act of her own aggression.

-"You'll pay for that." He moved in to punch her, when Asami caught his hand before it landed.

-"When a girl says no, it means  _no_ , jackass," she hissed, and then she stunned everyone. With one move, she swiveled around on one foot, catching Tahno's neck in the knee of her other leg, knocking him down on his chest. Asami had him in a hold, pinning one arm with her knee, his head between her knee and her calf, and his other arm twisted painfully up. "Maybe this will teach you a valuable lesson." She thrust the palm of her hand just above the shoulder, getting a massive cry of pain from the quarterback. Asami stood up, letting his arm drop to the floor, before turning to Korra again, who had front row seats and was staring at the whole spectacle with wide-open eyes.  _Christ in heaven, that was hot. Wait a minute, WHAT?!_

Asami took her hand, which was getting unusually sweaty. Korra couldn't tell if it was from inexplicable arousal, or simply the intensity of the situation. Asami either didn't notice, or didn't care. "Come on. We don't want to stick around here," she said, glancing at presumably Tahno's teammates. Korra was just a little too shocked to take it all in. She dragged Korra to the exit, winking Mako over from there. Outside, Asami faced Korra again. "Are you all right?"

She was still trying to straighten her thoughts. "I... Yeah, I'm fine, but... What was that?!"

-"What do you mean?"

"In there, that was amazing! You just went all Black Widow on a 200-pound footballer, you knocked him on his ass in one move! How did you do that?"

She got a tiny smirk on her face. "I've had self-defense classes since I was six. I can handle myself."

 _You can handle me too, I'm sure._  There was a small gap in her train of thoughts.  _What. The. Fuck._  "Yeah... Yeah you can."

Mako and Bolin came out as well. The brothers also had trouble taking it all in. "Did you just break Tahno's arm?" Bolin asked, unsure whether he should be impressed or scared of Asami.

-"No, I dislocated his shoulder. He won't be playing any football for the foreseeable future, that you can be sure of." There was a brief silence, in which Asami was met with three confused stares. "From the looks on your faces, I take it you'd all rather go home."

They all nodded, and quickly got into the car. Asami drove them back to Mako's place, where the brother went straight inside. The girls stuck in the car for a little while. Korra still wasn't sure to make of her thoughts. "Asami, I..." She looked over, seeing the questioning gaze. "Thank you."

-"Not a problem."

"Listen, I'm gonna turn in for the night. I'll see you later."

-"Okay. Later."

They both got out, and Korra made for her own house again. Her parents were still awake, given that it wasn't even midnight yet. She gave them a small wave, and went up to her own room.

Korra ditched her stuff, and went to the bathroom to splash some water in her face. Face still wet, she looked in the mirror to talk some sense into herself.

_Alright, get you head straight. What happened tonight was just because of the situation, nothing major. You're just going to bed, sleep it off, and it'll all be fine in the morning._

Deciding that would probably be the best course of action here, she did just that: try to catch a good night's sleep.


	6. Black and White

Korra opened her eyes, and was met with the whitest bed linens she had ever seen. She was lying on her right side, looking out a pair of open balcony doors, behind which lay a pearl white beach and an azure blue ocean. A gentle morning breeze carried in the lightly saline air of the sea. She rolled onto her back, not wondering where she was.

She realized she was not exactly dressed in her typical pajamas, which consisted of an old Age of Empires-shirt and a pair of the softest pants money could buy. Instead, she was dressed in white lacy lingerie, off-setting her tanned skin like nothing else could.  _I don't remember owning this. Hmm, must have slipped my mind._

-"Good morning."

The voice came from the left, and it was clear to Korra who it was. She rolled onto her left side, and saw Asami standing there, dressed identically to Korra, save for one thing: her lingerie was black, making it a stunning contrast to her pale,  _flawless_  skin. She was leaning against the wall with one hand, had the other in her side and her hip cocked. A sly grin lined her face, and her hair was draped loosely over her shoulders.  _Motherfucker that's hot. I mean, WOW._

Korra let her eyes glide over Asami's body, taking in every visible inch of her long, slender legs, her  _perfect_ hourglass figure, her beautifully proportioned breasts, her long, raven black hair, her stunning face, her emerald eyes, everything.

Asami slowly walked over to Korra, her hips seductively swaying with each step she took. Korra felt a surge of heat racing through her core as Asami came closer. When she had reached the bed, she pushed Korra gently onto her back by the shoulders, climbing on top of her in the process, one leg on either side of Korra's hips.

Korra was now in full view of Asami's large breasts, barely contained by the black lace. She felt her own panties slowly dampen, as Asami let herself descend onto Korra's body, until their faces were tantalizingly close together.

-"You know you want this. Do it. I'm all yours," Asami whispered, so seductively, the wall would have jumped out for her if it could. Korra didn't resist. She couldn't resist. She cocked her head slightly up, and Asami leaned down just a little more, until their lips met. Korra wrapped her arms around the pale girl, as Asami pushed her tongue past Korra's lips, before slowing pulling back again. She gently nibbled on Korra's bottom lip, driving her even more insane for the girl in black.

_My God, this girl is going to be the end of me._

Asami's tongue darted past Korra's lips again, exploring what felt like the furthest regions of her mouth. Korra let out a gentle moan, prompting Asami to break the kiss. Korra opened her eyes, and was met with a pair of emerald ones, sparkling with a tease that was unmistakable. Asami moved down, kissing her jaw and working down to Korra's neck. She gently bit into the skin, sending a surge of electricity through her body. Korra closed her eyes again, as she let out another gentle moan.

Suddenly, the lips broke contact, and Korra opened her eyes again. It was no longer Asami, but Mako on top of her. He rolled the two of them over so that Korra was now on top.

-"I thought you were a better friend than this," he hissed, while he let something cold slide down her spine. "Let's see how this feels to you." Korra suddenly felt a stabbing pain going through her back, as she realized Mako had thrust a knife into her back.

She shot upright, panting heavily. Korra no longer bathed in the morning glow and the saline scent. It was dark around her, and she was no longer in the white bed. The white lingerie had been replaced with her typical Age of Empires-shirt and her pajama pants. She tried to process everything that had just happened. A quick look around told her that she was back in her own room.

_It was all just a dream._  At first Korra was relieved at the realization, until she felt the same heat coming from her core. She stuck a hand down her pants, and felt that her panties were definitely soiled.  _Well, what do you expect when someone that hot makes out with you, even if it is in a dream?_

She let that thought sink in as well, and when it finally hit her, it hit hard.  _Jesus H. fuck no..._

Korra didn't know what to think. She let herself fall back onto her bed and closed her eyes. All that was going through her head was the image of Asami and her goddess-like body, leaning against the wall, hip cocked, and with that sly grin on her face.

_Don't do it... Don't do it..._

Lust stronger than willpower, she ripped the sheets aside, and stuck her hand down her pants, and started rubbing the sensitive nub until she could barely feel it through all her natural lubricant. It didn't take long.  _What did you expect? Asami gave you a head start, so to speak._  Desperate, she stuck her middle finger inside of her, which almost was enough to finish her off. Almost.

As she felt the heat racing through her chest, Korra closed her eyes again, and the image of the barely-dressed Asami instantly sprung to mind. That did it for Korra. The surge of heat made its way to the furthest reaches of her body, and she forced herself to roll over. "Oh my God, Asami..." Korra moaned into the pillow, electricity racing through her body, until she rolled back, allowing herself to come around again.

The realization that she had just gotten herself off to not only one of her closest friends, but her best friend's girlfriend nearly reduced her to tears.  _Mako's dream-counterpart was right. I am stabbing him in the back with this._

She covered her eyes with her still clean hand, desperately fighting back the tears. She took a few deep breaths, and granted herself some time to take in what a lousy friend she had just been.

Now more collected, she started to realize the hows and whats this implied. First off, she was falling for Asami _and_  falling hard. Korra would have to come forward with this to her at some point.  _"Hey Asami, listen, I just had the hottest dream where we were making out, then Mako showed up and killed me, waking me up, but I made myself come like a fucking howler-monkey to you anyway." Yeah. That should go over real well._

Second, what was she going to tell Mako? Nothing, that much was for sure. At least for the time being. Ignorance is bliss, so to speak. Third, what was she going to tell her parents? If this wasn't just because of Asami going all Black Widow on Tahno, she was properly fucked.

_You wish she had._

...

_God-fucking-damnit._

Regardless, this was something she needed to figure out, and preferably fast. Her parents were staunch conservatives, this would be a pretty good reason for them to lock her up and throw away the key.

But hard as she thought, Korra just couldn't figure out what to tell them. She had always been more liberal towards gay people than her parents had been, but didn't really count on it hitting  _this_  close to home.  _Again, for the time being at least, lock that shit away._

She looked at the alarm clock. 3:56. Sunday morning.  _You have a little over one day to figure out what you're going to tell her, or it will be one hell of an awkward day at school tomorrow._

Korra tried for a while, but her mind wasn't working properly.  _Back to sleep it is._  She tried, but just ended up tossing and turning until the clock read 8:00. Still tired, she went down to the kitchen anyway.

Her mother was already up, making coffee. The smell made her at least a little more comfortable.

-"Good morning."

"Hmm." Korra didn't feel like giving a real reply.

-"Didn't sleep well? You haven't been drinking have you?"

_Understate much?_  "No, I just couldn't sleep. Probably the caffeine of the Cola last night."

She made herself a bowl of cereal, before removing herself from the kitchen to avoid further conversation with her mother.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. No good thoughts on the issue at hand popped into her mind. By the time Korra went to bed, she still didn't have something to try and ease the awkwardness that would undoubtedly ensue between her and Asami.

The following morning, that thought would prove to be frighteningly accurate.

When she walked into the school, she got a sidelong glance of Asami chatting with a couple of her classmates. She was dressed in ankle high black boots, black legging, a short, shocking pink dress and a small black vest.

_Goddamn, she's gorgeous._

...

_Fuck._

Korra felt her face flush. She quickly walked off in the wrong direction, making sure Asami wouldn't see her. Before she really knew what she was doing, Korra was climbing up the stairs of the B-wing. Reaching the furthest corner on the third floor, she let herself sink onto the ground and let her head rest on her hands as it fully sunk in.

_I'm in love with Asami._


	7. New Year, New Start

Korra didn't go back to "her" radiator in the break, and instead retreated to the corner on the third floor. Avoiding Asami was more difficult than she would like to admit, but she managed.

Fortunately, Asami wasn't completely absent-minded. After Korra didn't come to hang out with her in the first break, she sent numerous texts asking Korra where she was staying. It broke Korra's heart to ignore them, but she didn't have a choice, if she didn't want to blow up three relationships in one go. Eventually, a text came in which Asami cancelled their tutoring session for the afternoon, until Korra could get around to letting her know anything.

After a couple of days, Asami stopped going to the radiator, and instead hung out with her classmates. In spite of the opportunity to go back, she stayed on the third floor of the B-wing.

She had gone to tennis practice that first Saturday after the hottest dream Korra had ever had, and she saw Asami elegantly unfold herself from her Bentley Continental.  _Those legs, **damn** , those legs. Now I know what Mako meant._ Unfortunately, this distraction caused her to nearly run down an old lady. After apologizing to the her, Korra turned around and drove back home, lying that her class had been cancelled because Kuvira was stuck in the snow.

But that stuff was just details. As a couple of weeks passed, Korra started to crumble under the stress of the realization of her true nature and the consequences. The one thing that mattered was that Korra was once again, all alone, and this time around, she couldn't blame anyone else.  _Thousands of handsome girls in DC and I have to fall for the one who is dating my best friend. What are the fucking odds._

It was nearly Christmas. Korra didn't have any particular interest in the holiday anymore. Sure it was nice that people tended to be more friendly around this time of year, but ever since she stopped believing in Santa, her interest had been decreasing. Her parents stopped with the presents when they told her Santa wasn't real, given that she didn't have a younger sibling for who they would have to keep up appearances. Nowadays it was mostly a fancy dinner between them and some close friends.  _Of her parents, but that's beside the point._

Over the winter break, she spent her time productively, meaning that she unlocked the Golden Uzi in Call of Duty  _and_  finally broke the 150 headshots with the M40A3, on her way to the Golden Dragunov.  _And it's not even Christmas yet. I'm doing well._

Christmas dinner went about the same as previous years: Tenzin and his family came over, his children were loud and obnoxious, her mother cooked a slightly above-average meal, they would eat it, fake a few compliments on how delicious it was, and move on with their lives. The next few days were always relaxing. The week between Christmas and New Year was always a calm one at the Capitol, so her father didn't have much to complain about. In turn, this made Senna calmer as well, resulting in an atmosphere that was slightly less tense than usual. Of course, this didn't mean much to Korra, who was still silently freaking out about the realization that she didn't like guys.

Korra typically went over to Mako's for New Year's, but this year, she found herself unable to do that. Every time she saw Asami, it only made her realize more and more what she was really feeling, and she couldn't figure out a way to deal with it.

Asami's Bentley was parked on the driveway since lunch, which meant she was there. After dinner, Korra was getting herself ready to go to the Capitol with her parents. They knew that even though Korra usually went to Mako, if she wasn't going there, she was coming with them.

_Frankly, sprinting into oncoming traffic sounded slightly more appealing, that way you don't have to choose where you're going to go._

It was nine in the evening, and Korra was standing in front of her dresser in a bra and sweatpants, choosing a dress, when the bell rang. Her mother opened and greeted whoever it was, so she didn't pay attention to it. That was, until the door of her room flew open and Mako, Bolin and Asami barged in without any warning.

-"Hey Korra, we - whoa!" Mako was most definitely surprised by what he saw. So was his brother, who both of whom turned tomato-red. Asami seemed slightly less embarrassed by walking in on Korra like this.

"Jesus Christ guys, ever heard of fucking knocking?! You're worse than my mother!" Korra was more angry than embarrassed. Mako and Bolin had turned around, while Asami handed her a sweater which was hung over her chair. She quickly slipped it on, and her friends turned around again.

-"Korra, we were just wondering if you still wanted to come over for New Year," Mako restarted, still red as a cherry. "You used to come over, and I don't see any reason why this year should be different."

 _I can think of a few doozies._  "I don't know guys, my parents are kind of making me go with them."

-"Korra, I know their rules about that, it's why you started coming over in the first place: to avoid going with them. You hate that New Year's party at the Congress," he astutely remarked.

She sighed. It was true, she really didn't want to go to the Capitol, when Asami moved in a little closer. She put her hand on Korra's shoulder, and was leaning suspiciously heavy on it. "Please? I don't know why you suddenly started avoiding me, but I would really like to try again," she said, a small blush still on her cheek. _Christ, she's drunk. They all are._  Before she could say anything else, Asami pulled her into a hug.

 _Oh snap._  It was warm, with Asami breathing into her neck, sending shivers down her spine and a massive surge of heat through her cheeks, which would undoubtedly be just as red as the brothers. She was fighting the urge to give in to herself. Korra's nose was pressed firmly in Asami's raven hair. It smelled like coconuts.

_Damn._

Asami cocked her head slightly up, and whispered into her ear: "Whatever it is I did, I'm sorry, Korra. I really want to patch things up."

 _God, she's too good for your sorry ass. Break away, before you break your resolve._  Korra gently pushed Asami away, much to the raven haired girl's shock and sadness. "Korra..." she breathed, tears welling up in her gorgeous green eyes.

"No, Asami. It's not your fault, I swear. I just..." She gazed upon the hopeful looks of her friends, fighting the tears welling up behind her eyes. "I don't think it's a good idea to go over to your place," she managed, even if it took her a while to say it.

-"Oh..." Mako couldn't hide his disappointment and sighed. "Well, if you change your mind, you know where I live." Disbelief dripping from their faces, they all quietly went down again, and Korra heard the front door close.

"FUCK!" she screamed, and let herself fall onto her bed, where she couldn't fight back the tears anymore.

-"Korra, what..." Tonraq came in, wondering why his daughter was yelling such profanities.

"Get out!" She didn't want her father to see her cry. Or she just didn't want to see him.

-"I just want to know..."

"I said GET OUT! Fuck you and fuck your party! I'm not going!"

He hesitated for a moment. Then, without another word, he turned around, briskly walked down the stairs to collect his wife, and they left without saying anything to Korra. The way he slammed the front door was more than enough confirmation for Korra that she may have pushed him too far.

Korra lost all sense of time. She didn't know how long she lay on her bed, crying, until her phone buzzed. It was a text from Mako. " _I don't care that you don't want to come over, Happy New Year anyway. You're still more than welcome._ " It was accompanied by selfie of him, Asami and Bolin. They all had a smile from ear to ear in the photo.

 _So, it's 2015. and You can either go over to the people who want you to celebrate this with them, or you can spend the rest of the night sulking in this disgusting room, since you never clean it._  The fact that she was even contemplating the issue was even more pathetic than she first realized.  _Howard fucking Hughes had better people skills than you do._

She got up off her bed, and looked into the mirror.  _Looks like shit. D'oh well._  She put on a shirt under her hoodie, and normal jeans, trying to appear as a regular human being.

With her shoes on as well, she walked over to Mako's place, and Bolin opened up. "Korra! You decided to come!" he exclaimed, even more over-eager than usual. "Happy New Year!" Out of nowhere, he placed a firm kiss on her lips.

 _Fuck, this guy is drunk as hell!_  Uhh, yeah... Happy New Year to you too, I guess."

-"Well, come in!" He pulled her in, probably also to give himself a crutch, given how he was leaning on her shoulder. He threw the door of the living room wide open, where Mako and Asami were sitting on the couch.

-"Guys, look who showed up!"  _He is_ way _too excited for me to be here. This was a mistake._

"Korra!" The couple exclaimed in unison, and they stood up. Mako gave her a firm hug, while Asami gave her a good kiss on the cheek. It caused Korra to go bright red, but they were too far gone to notice. "Happy New Year. I'm glad you changed your mind."

"Yeah, well, you know," Korra smiled awkwardly. Bolin handed her a shot glass, filled with presumably something strong. "You have a lot of ground to make up, so you better get started."

 _This is a bad fucking idea._  Korra repressed the thought, and threw it backwards, throat burning from the alcohol. "Christ, what is in that stuff?!"

-"Guess." Mako wasn't too subtle in answering Korra's question, even if it was rhetorical. Korra didn't answer.

Bolin tried to help Korra along. "What do you want to wash it down with: more or a beer?"

Against her better judgment, Korra first accepted another one, before switching over to the beer he had somehow managed to procure. As the evening went on, Korra felt her objections slowly slipping, but she never lost herself completely. They were mostly just hanging out, laughing at stories that weren't particularly funny, even recounting how Asami ripped Tahno's arm from its socket.  _Actually, that was pretty cool. I wonder what Asami would look like in a Black Widow outfit..._

-"What was that?" Mako's voice slightly slurred as he turned over to Korra.

 _Motherfucker, I said that out loud. How do I bullshit my way out of this one?_  "Well, you know, ehh, with skills like those, she could double for Scarlett Johansson in the Avengers. That would be awesome."

-"Yeah, that would be awesome. Imagine that, sitting next to an Avenger!" Bolin was more than a little excited at Korra's suggestion.  _Good job Neo, you just dodged a barrage of bullets._

-"... Why don't we watch one? Mako, you have those all on DVD, we're not going anywhere," Bolin said, going on a small rant about how much he likes the Marvel Movies.

-"I don't know bro, I don't really feel like them. And I don't think Asami does either."

Asami shook her head in confirmation, and Bolin admitted defeat. Korra was still sweating bullets and had her mouth clamped securely shut.

-"I have a better idea..." Asami got an irresistible smirk on her face. "Karaoke night!"

This was met with a loud cheer from the brothers, and Asami made the cutest pout towards Korra, who was the only one who seemed reluctant.  _Good luck refusing that face; it's freakin' adorable. Well, better than playing strip poker._

Mako fired up his PS3, which he kept in the living room, and pulled a microphone and Karaoke Revolution out of the drawer under the TV.

"Before we start embarrassing ourselves completely, can we at least finish that bottle of vodka so that we won't remember it?" Korra's suggestion was met with loud laughter, but Bolin did slide the bottle towards her across the floor, and she poured a generous amount into her glass. He started with 'Billy Jean', before Mako made an absolute fool of himself belting out an awful version of 'Like a Virgin'. He took a round of applause, and tossed Korra the mic.

"No fucking way, I am not singing," she protested, but Asami had different plans.

-"If you're not going to sing alone, than the least we can do is a duet. Come on, on your feet." She pulled Korra up, and selected 'Complicated'.  _This can only end well._  Asami began singing, but Korra simply kept her mouth shut.

-" _Chill out, what you yellin' for?_  Korra, come on, sing with me.  _Lay back, it's all been done before._  Sing!"

_Fuck it._

Korra joined Asami, leaning in  _very_  close so the mic would pick them both up. " _And if, you could only let it be, you will see._ "

Korra joining the Sato was met with loud applause from the brothers, so she simply continued. " _I like, you the way you are, when we're drivin' in your car. And you're, talking to me, one on one. But you've become!_ "

Asami had to straighten her face from laughing, but it didn't deter Korra this time around. She was in it now, so she was going to see it through. " _Somebody else, 'round everyone else, watchin' your back, like you can't relax. Your tryin' to be cool, you look like a fool to me!_ "

Asami purposefully drew out that last note, making extra quirky. " _Tell me, why'd-you-have-to-go-and-make-things-so complicated?! I see the way you're acting-like-someone-else-it-gets-me-frustrated. Life's like this, you, you fall and you_ crawl _and you_ break _and you_ take _what you_ get _and you turn it into, honestly-promise-me-I'm-never-gonna-find-you-fake-it... no, no no..._ "

Asami and Korra looked each other straight into the eyes on that last cue. They aced the rest of the song, sounding absolutely awesome. Korra was getting warm from the alcohol, the excitement and giving her all singing an Avril Lavigne song, so she took off her hoodie, leaving just the Rock Band T-shirt.  _Guess it's more appropriate then I imagined._

-"We want more!" Mako and Bolin chanted, deeply impressed by the singing skills of their female company.

"Now that, you're going to have to earn." Korra shot Asami a sly grin. "We want to hear The Fabulous Singing Brothers in a duet!"

This comment was met with an approving nod from Asami, and she handed the mic to Mako. The girls slumped down on the couch, and Asami leaned heavily against Korra. Korra instantly felt herself heating up even more, despite getting rid of her hoodie.

-"You know, you're a pretty good singer, you know that?"

Korra smiled. "Likewise. And no, I didn't really know." Bolin had insisted that they would sing 'The Power of Love', and they actually did fairly well. Korra and Asami were up next again, doing surprisingly well on Norah Jones' 'Don't Know Why', even if they didn't really realize it. Afterwards, They slumped back into their previous position on the couch, while Mako decided to go solo again on 'Broken Wings'.

The night went on like this for a while, plenty of golden oldies passing by, some being completely butchered by them, other being performed fairly well.

Ultimately though they were all tired, and ended up unceremoniously draped over the couch and each other. Bolin had fallen asleep, and no way in hell was he waking up. Korra and Mako carried him upstairs to his bed, and the three of them finished the bottle of vodka, having a lot of fun. Mako and Asami started to get a little clingy, but Korra didn't really care. They were a cute couple, regardless of what anyone might say about them.

She didn't actually remember how the evening ended, but she was in for the shock of her life when she woke up.

Korra found herself lying against something warm, on the softest pillow ever. She took a deep breath through the nose, and there was a delicious smell entering.  _Coconuts..._

...

Her eyes shot open at the realization, and she found herself snuggled up  _very_  close to Asami. Their bare legs were intertwined with each other's, Korra's arm was sprawled over Asami's belly. She was lying with her face in the crook Asami's neck, her nose buried in the raven hair.

Korra fought to untangle herself from Asami, and fell out of the bed in the process, and banged her head hard against the nightstand. Korra's barrage of profanities afterwards woke Asami up as well, who was still very groggy from the night before. "Korra..? What's going on?"

She was having some trouble processing it all. They were both still dressed,  _hooray_ , albeit minimal. Korra was there in just her Rock Band T-shirt and panties, and Asami was dressed similarly, but in a tank top instead of a T-shirt.

Only now did Korra realize the massive headache she had, that her throat and mouth felt like she had tried to eat the Sahara, and it wanted back out.  _Serves you right. You downed half a bottle of vodka last night._

-"Korra, are you alright?" Asami sounded genuinely worried.

Korra rubbed the place on her head where she had slammed into the nightstand. "Yeah... I'm fine, but Asami, what happened? How did we end up like this?"

-"Oh, you fell asleep on the couch last night, and Mako didn't feel like carrying you back to your place, so he just put you here in the guest bedroom. I couldn't drive home, so I just joined you, Mako doesn't have a two person bed."

"Okay... thanks. Listen, my parents are probably going to kill me, I need to get home. Where are the rest of my clothes?"

-"Relax, I sent them a message with your phone. They know where you are."

Asami leaned over the bed, picked up Korra's phone from the nightstand, and handed it to Korra, who was still sitting on the ground.

She pulled up the conversation with her mother: " _stqyin at Makl, hoe tomoeeow._ " was the last sent text.  _God-fucking-damn it. You don't need to be an expert to see that the person who sent it was drunk of her ass._

"Christ, Asami, they are going to kill me when I get back!"

-"What do you mean?"

"Look at this!" Korra jammed the phone in her bedmate's face. "I'm in so much trouble!"

-"Ugh, enough with the yelling. Too hung over for that." Asami rolled over and stood up out of her side of the bed giving Korra an eyeful of her  _barely covered_  shapely rear. "There have to be clothes over here somewhere..."

Korra couldn't look away from those gorgeous legs.  _Hangover or not, she is still your friend who took care of you last night. Even if my dream a few weeks back appears to be more accurate than I ever thought possible._

She forced herself to turn away, and happened to spot her own jeans at the foot of the bed. Korra quickly slipped them on, and when she turned around again, got an eyeful of Asami's rear, who was on her knees, looking under the bed for her pants.  _My God, this girl is going to be the end of me._  Korra saw no possible way this morning could become even more awkward for her.

As it turned out, her imagination was lacking.

-"Korra?"

She was having a hard enough time not giving in to shamelessly ogling Asami, this was not going to be easy. "Yes?"

-"Could you... pull me back? I'm slightly... stuck."

 _Oh sweet buttery Jesus. Have the planets aligned and conspired against me?!_  "Uhh... sure... How stuck are you?"

-"Pretty badly, just pull back on my feet."

Korra positioned herself in such a way that she only grasped Asami's ankles, and pulled her back from under the bed, pants in hand. She put them on and turned to Korra again.

-"Thank you. Want some aspirin?"

Korra nodded, and Asami walked into the en-suite bathroom to empty the medicine cabinet. They both took a generous amount of aspirins, and Korra couldn't help but recall what happened between them.  _You spend weeks avoiding her, and here she is, taking care of you, looking out for you. You have got the be the luckiest asshole in the solar system._

"Asami... I'm... sorry for pushing you away like I did." She couldn't bring herself to face Asami, so just stared at the ground like an idiot.

She looked relieve as Korra said that. "Look, I don't care what it was that made you do it, can we just forget it? A new start for 2015?" She grabbed Korra by the shoulders, who was still looking down. "Please?" It came out so pleadingly, that Korra looked up, and saw some tears welling up in her emerald eyes.

She wanted to. But she couldn't. Korra felt bolts of electricity spreading through her body from the places Asami was holding her. It wasn't just what she wanted. She just turned away, tears streaming down her own cheeks. "No. I'm sorry Asami, but I can't..." She noticed how shaky her voice was, and heard a soft snickering behind her.

Korra didn't turn around again. She bolted from the en-suite, grabbed her shoes, and made for the living room, taking her hoodie with her and fled back to her own house. She ignored her mother, who was in the kitchen and called out for her, she just ran up the stairs and decisively slammed the door of her room shut behind her, breaking down once again on her bed.


	8. Confession

It felt like going through hell. Blowing off Asami like that wasn't healthy for either girl. Mako called her later that day, yelling at her through the phone. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! I come down, you are gone, Asami in tears, saying she tried to make amends with you, and you shoot her the fuck down?! What is your fucking problem?!"

Korra couldn't fault him. She just let him rant on, eventually muttering some sort of vague apology before quickly hanging up.

The week after was even worse. Her parents gave her a significant amount of flack, correctly assuming Korra had been piss-drunk on New Year's Eve. They pulled her internet plug for the remainder of the Christmas break, and she wasn't allowed to go over to Mako's for the next month. Not that it mattered so much, given that Mako was rightfully and legitimately pissed at her.

Asami hadn't even bothered to attempt contacting Korra again, even when school was back in. Korra knew that she didn't have to go back to the third floor, so she went back to her radiator near the gymnasiums, as she knew that Asami wouldn't seek her out again.

A week passed, and it was the most painful week Korra had ever gone through. She and Asami would occasionally lock eyes, and the expression in the emerald eyes changed during the course of the week: going from nearly breaking down to one of disappointment. That was the hardest part. The simple knowledge that Korra could fix it, if only she were a stronger person.

Oen faithful afternoon, Korra was in her room, occupied by the thing most capable of distracting her: Call of Duty. She was in the middle of planting a bomb in a Search and Destroy match when her phone rang. She quickly finished the plant and retreated to a safe corner, two teammates making sure the bomb was safe. As Korra moved to answer it, she saw that it was someone she hadn't talked to for a while.

-"Hey Korra, it's Pema."

It was oddly calming to hear that gentle voice. "Uhh, hi."

-"Listen, I know we haven't had much business for you the past couple of weeks, but you know, it has been quite calm for us."

"It's fine, Pema, I've been kind of busy myself."  _Liar. Kind of busy moping and wasting time, maybe._

-"Anyway, as it turns out, Tenzin and I have something coming up. Could you come over tomorrow night at eight?"

"Eight?"  _Fuck. Means that at least the oldest two are still awake._  "Yeah, I can do that."

-"Great! See you tomorrow."

"Bye."

As Korra hung up, she realized this might actually be a good opportunity to discuss things with Pema. For as far as she knew, Pema wasn't anti-gay or anything, at least not vocally like her father. Plus, she cared about Korra. It would be as good a person as any to talk to, even if she was married to the house majority whip.

The next day consisted of her new routine. Get up. Go to school. Avoid Asami. Go home.

She informed her parents about how Pema called her, and, unsurprisingly, weren't too pleased that Korra didn't tell them earlier. Still, they had no reason to keep her from going, especially since Korra refused to set foot out of their house for anything other than school.

When she arrived at Tenzin's, her suspicions turned out to be correct. Jinora and Ikki were still awake, and Pema had just put Meelo to bed.  _Could be worse. They're seven and ten, and it's that little boy who is the real monster._  Pema informed Korra that they would be home around eleven, maybe a little sooner. Some last minute instructions concerned food, bedtimes and television, and Tenzin and Pema were on their way.

Since Pema had only given her daughters half an hour after they left, they decided to play a game of Clue to kill the time. Korra was never too strict about the bedtime for the sisters, and allowed them to finish calmly before sending them off to bed.

Normally, Korra was perfectly content watching TV about nothing much, but this time around, she could only pace around nervously. While it was true that Pema was probably the only person outside of a therapist she could go to, there was that one little niggling doubt in the back of her mind that she just couldn't shake, no matter how hard she tried.  _What if she doesn't accept it?_

She had thought about little else all day, but now that it actually came down to it, Korra was sweating bullets. The clock crept forward, and she was growing more nervous by the second.

At ten to eleven, Korra heard the front door. It meant her time making sure Tenzin's children stay asleep is over again. On the one hand, finally, means she could go home again, but on the other, she has been building up courage for this. Much to her surprise, Pema was came through the door alone.

"Pema? Is everything alright? Where's Tenzin?"

-"Tenzin is fine, he just had to stay a little late. He's taking a cab home." She handed Korra a fifty. "Here you go. For the short notice."

"Uhh, yeah, thanks." She put the bill in her pocket and hesitated. "Uhh, Pema, can I... talk to you about something?"

Pema got a slightly worried look on her face. "Is everything alright with you?"

"No. I mean... I don't know."

-"What is it, Korra?" she asked, now genuinely concerned.

 _Well, you made it this far. Might as well tell her._  Korra unsuccessfully tried to swallow the block in her throat, and with great effort finally managed: "I think I'm falling for girls."

Pema's eyes grew large at learning this. "Wow... I... I don't know what to say." She fell silent for a while. "When did you first know?"

"A couple of weeks ago. I mean, I think I did. I just..." Korra didn't finish. She just sighed.

Pema let the silence between them hang for a little while, probably regaining her own thoughts. "Given that you're telling me like this, I take it you haven't told anyone else?"

"Who is there to tell it to? The people I know are limited to you and my parents."

-"Your parents don't know that you are... a lesbian?"

"No. And there is no way in hell I'm telling them just yet."

Pema looked a little shocked at this. "You should. They are your  _parents_ , Korra. They love you."

"Not from where I'm sitting. They always disapprove of everything I do, and now this. You know my father was elected on the anti-gay language. Having a fucking dyke for a daughter will make some real nice local headlines."

She ignored Korra's language, instead trying to make her feel better. "Don't say that. Your father would never put his career before you." Much to Korra's worry, there was a hint of doubt in the way she said that.

" _He_  just might. If anyone is capable of that, it's him."

-"Not the Tonraq I know. He might be strict, but he loves you."

"Then why can't I shake the feeling that the fine print on that love reads 'as long as you do what I say'?"

-"Like I said, he's strict, but your father would never reject you because of that."  _Bet you ten bucks?_  "But I also get a feeling there is another reason."

 _Yes, you human lie-detector, but no fucking way I'm telling you I have the hots for my best friend's girlfriend._ "Yeah. I... I'm not entirely certain yet, and I don't want to blow up everything because I have no goddamn clue what I'm doing." It wasn't even a total lie. She wasn't entirely certain, and still had a little bit of hope left that at least she found some attraction in guys.

-"Alright, tell you what. The daughter of friends of ours came out of the closet a few years ago, and for as far as I know, is single. I could... set you up for a blind date, maybe it'll help you. Maybe she can help you tell your parents."

Korra sighed.  _You went in, so desperate that you told the woman whose children you are babysitting, and now she's trying to hook you up already._  I don't know Pema, I mean, who would even be interested in dating me?"

-"You need to stop being so hard on yourself, Korra. Just let it go for a moment, and trust that it will all work out."

She sighed again. "Okay. What do I have to do?"

-"Show up at the time and place I tell you to. She is a lovely girl, and I'm sure she would try it. Do you have anything this weekend?"

"Yes, I have..." but then she remembered that she hadn't gone to tennis practice in weeks anyway. "No, I'm free in the weekends."

-"Great. I'll set you up."

Korra fell silent for a moment.  _Rephrase: luckiest asshole in the fucking galaxy._  "Thank you Pema. For... For everything."

-"Any time Korra. Come here." She moved in closer, an gave Korra a hug. Korra felt a weight melt off her, the feeling accelerated by Pema's soft and gentle hands on her back. "You go home now. I'll call you when I have a time for you."

"Okay." Korra grabbed her coat and slipped into her car, slowly driving home. She didn't want to face her parents for now, and once she got home walked on straight from the front door to her bedroom.

 _Everything went better than expected._  That was the thought that dominated all others. Pema had accepted her full stop, not even a hint of disapproval. Korra didn't know if she was suppressing it for her sake, or that she genuinely didn't care. She really appreciated the support, and the knowledge that she could talk to Pema had just been confirmed. Okus, she might get a date out of it. It seemed like a good way to try to get over Asami. If she could manage to do that, she could save two friendships in one go, which would be nice.

Her mother poked her head around the door, again not knocking. "Korra, why didn't you come and say 'hello' when you got home?"

"Because I'm tired and I'm going to bed.  _Good night._ " Senna got the determination with which Korra said those last few words, and closed the door silently.

The rest of the week was easy. Get up. Go to school. Avoid Asami. Go home. Repeat.

Pema called on Thursday.  _Please tell me she told you off and I don't have to go._

"Hey Korra, so I called her, and she'd like to go on a date with you."

_Fuck._

"Oh, ehh, thanks."

Pema ignored Korra's blank response. "So anyway, I told her to meet you at the teashop across from my store. Do you know the place?"

"Yeah."

-"Great. Saturday, one PM, she knows what you look like, so she'll find you there." 

"Wait, Pema, can you at least tell me her name?"

-"Opal. Opal Beifong."


	9. Blind Date

Korra was frantically turning her room upside down, trying to find her good pair of jeans.  _Where did I put those fucking things? I can't go out on a date in freakin' sweats!_  Despair growing by the second, she did something she hated doing.

"Mom! Have you seen my pants?" she yelled downstairs.

-"They're in the washing machine, you had been wearing those for weeks! They were disgusting!"

Even though she didn't like it, it was actually true. Korra was never one to care though, but this was probably for the best.  _Now what? It's January, and I don't have any good jeans!_

She suddenly got a bright idea, and dug through the bottom regions of her closet, pulling out a different pair, which she never wore, because they had paint in them. Korra had worn them when she was painting her room blue, but the stains weren't that conspicuous. Plus, they were mostly on the left side, courtesy of the laziest way to paint the lower parts of the wall.

She quickly slipped them on and now worried about choosing a shirt. Anything fanboy related was discarded immediately, and that left a shockingly small pile to choose from. She chose a blue zip-up hoodie, and was forced to wear her "I am a bomb technician" shirt underneath, primarily because it only has writing on the back.

Now brilliantly dressed, she ran downstairs, quickly grabbed her keys from the kitchen counter, and was on her way out, when her father stopped her. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Korra let her head hang. She really didn't want to tell her parents what her real intentions were, so she had come up with a contingency plan the night before. "Do we really have to do this now, dad? I'm going to drink a cup of tea in town with Asami, she asked me to."

-"If anything like last time you drank something together happens, you are in big trouble, you lady." He gave her a piercing stare, and Korra nodded understandingly. "Alright, go on," He eventually said, and moved out of the doorway.

She jumped into her Audi, and realized she was late already. Her dressing calamities had cost her some dear time. Of course, the entire retirement brigade had decided to drive right in front of her, making her even more impatient.

"Jesus Christ, the only thing you should be riding is a fucking hearse! Get out of the way, man!" she yelled at a reheated corpse on his moped, who was taking up the entire road. Of course, she only did that within the safety of her car, carefully keeping all windows closed. Korra did make it to the parking lot behind the tea shop at 12:57.  _Perfect._  She glanced into the mirror one last time to make sure she hadn't made a mess of herself and went inside.

There were only three other people, and elderly man, and a mother with a small child.  _Thank God, means she isn't here yet._  She sat down at a narrow table, carefully positioning herself so the worst paint stains were against the wall.

Korra had been waiting for a few minutes in the surprisingly empty tea shop, when she saw a girl about her age enter. She took off her coat, looked around, and when she saw Korra, walked straight to her.

-"Korra?"

"Opal Beifong?"

-"That's me."

"Great." Korra eyed her up. She was quite small, even compared to Korra. Opal had gone for simple sneakers, dark jeans with a gray T-shirt and a loose green flannel, accentuating her slim build, and a very stylish scarf. Her eyes were practically the same emerald green as Asami's, but she had a very friendly face, slightly tanned skin, and short, black hair.  _She's cute. But that's why she's here, no?_

Korra didn't really know what to say. "So, ehh, I don't really date, like, often..."  _Wow, you can't even keep your completely non-existent social life quiet for one fucking minute._

Opal laughed. "That's okay. This is my first blind date. The first date is always a touch awkward. But how about we start with ordering something?"

"Sure."

Opal waved to the waiter, and he soon came over. "What will it be, ladies?"

Korra held her hand up to Opal, urging her to choose first. "Do you have fresh mint tea with honey?"

-"Certainly."

Korra hesitated. "That... actually sounds pretty good. Make that two."

Opal smiled. "Don't order that often?"

"No, I didn't even know it really exists."

-"It's great, you made the right choice. But why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

"What's there to tell? I'm seventeen, go to Jefferson High and I'm in my junior year."

-"That's plenty to tell. Let me make this a little easier on you: I'm the middle child with four brothers, in my junior year as well, but on Eisenhower High, and I like movies, reading and swimming."

"Alright, fair enough, you are making this easier."

Opal seemed to get a little curious now. "How do you know Pema?" Korra gave her a strange look, but Opal just smiled. "First date 1-0-1: start with something you have in common."

 _Well, there's one to remember._  "Ah. Well, my father is a congressman, and he gets along quite well with Tenzin, and through various dinner parties and get-togethers and so on, I ended up babysitting those three little monsters of them."

She giggled. "You really think that of her children?"

 _Goddamn, this girl is adorable._  "Well, kind of. I mean, I mostly have to babysit them when they are fast asleep, so I really see it as easy money."

-"Wow, I'd kill for a job like that."

"Well I hope you're not planning on killing me to take over." She paused for a moment. "Fuck, I said that out lou..." Korra slammed her hand in front of her mouth before she said anything even more stupid.  _Great job, you fucking imbecile._  "I'm sorry, I always swear when I'm nervous and..." She interrupted herself when she felt the heat racing through her cheeks again.

Opal giggled. "You know, you're really cute when you're blushing like that."

This only made Korra's cheeks burn even brighter. "You can see that?"

"My grandmother is blind, lives in the Everglades and she could see it from there. Yes, I can see it just fine."

Korra put her hands over her cheeks, and looked stiff down, attempting to save what was left of her dignity. _What dignity?_  But this only made Opal giggle even more. "You shouldn't worry about it. I told you, the first date is always a little awkward."

Korra sat upright again. "Well, there's a little, and then there's this."

By now, their tea had arrived, and it was not what Korra had expected. They got a large glass, filled to the brim with boiling hot water and a bush of fresh mint. She got a saucer on the side, with honey in a plastic hotel cup and a spoon on it.

"Oowwwkaayyy... What am I supposed to make of this?"

-"It's fresh mint tea! Just let it pull for a little while, pour in the honey and you're done!"

"I'll take your word for it." Korra thought for a moment. "You didn't tell me how you know Pema well enough to let her set you up on a date."

-"Well, it's just like you: I know her through Tenzin. It was my grandmother who was good friends with Tenzin's father, and it carried over through the generations. I have a sneaking suspicion it's going to break off now though, her children are even younger than my youngest brothers."

"That's a shame."

-"Didn't you call her kids 'little monsters'?" Opal didn't hesitate to throw Korra's remark back at her.

Korra hesitated a little. "Well, yes, and I kind of stand by that. A couple of weeks ago, I went to dinner there, the little one kicked me so hard I walked around with black and blue legs for a week."

-"They can be a little... overwhelming." Opal set to work preparing her tea. She took out the mint, placed it on her saucer and poured in the honey and stirred, all with a stoic efficiency that made Korra realize this wasn't Opal's first rodeo. "You look like you're somewhat of an expert with this," Korra said, with and impressed look on her face.

-"Why thank you. And yes, I order this whenever I get the chance. It's my favorite." Korra set work repeating the process she just witnessed Opal preform, only she dripped tea all over the place, including her hand which was... unpleasant due to the hot water, only to realize she left the honey on the saucer, underneath the bushel of mint.  _Well, this is all going about as well as trying to navigate the Titanic past an iceberg._

-"Haven't really got your head in the game today?" Opal sounded genuinely worried after taking a sip of her tea.

"I'm just... I haven't done this before."

Opal raised an eyebrow. "You don't mean the tea, do you?"

Korra shook her head. "This is my first date with a girl," she slowly managed.

Opal gave her a cute smile. "For what it's worth, I think you're doing fine so far."

Korra couldn't help but smile at how nice Opal was being.

They spent the best part of the next hour talking. Korra even managed to make Opal laugh without embarrassing herself a few times.  _You know, like most people would do on a date._  They talked about a wide range of topics, from Opal's diverse family to the way Korra ended up playing tennis.

Opal's friendly and open attitude made it very easy for Korra to talk to her, something she wasn't really used to. Korra tried to not be her usual callous self, and, admittedly with some effort, succeeded.

Time passed without Korra really noticing. Ultimately, Opal reminded her that they should probably be getting home. Korra insisted on paying, something that Opal didn't seem too hot about.

-"I'm a Beifong, I can pay for my own drinks."

"Trust me Opal, you did me a favor by coming here. I'm paying and that is an end of it."

She called over the waiter, who brought the bill directly. He probably heard half of their conversation, given that it was still dead quiet in the shop.

They walked outside, and Opal wanted to head in a different direction than Korra.

"Parked somewhere else?"

-"I didn't come by car. My parents don't want seven cars in the driveway, so we have to share two between five siblings, and two of my brothers made good arguments they needed them more than I did. I came by bus."

 _She braved half an hour of public transport so she could go on a date with your sorry ass. What is it with you luck and amazing people?_  "You went by bus? Over half an hour to get here?"

-"Yeah. No problem, really."

"I could give you a ride. Like I said, you did me a huge favor by agreeing to come here in the first place."

-"That's really not necessary. You live all the way across town."

"Like I said: you did me a favor, this is the least I can do for you. Come on."

They walked to Korra's Audi, which was parked around the back of the café.

-"What was this whole 'favor' business about? It was just a date, nothing really at stake, right?"

"'At stake?' What do you mean?"

-"Well, even if it didn't work, the worst part would have been that I drank tea with someone."

"Not really for me. I..." Korra hesitated for a moment. "Did Pema tell you the real reason she asked you to do this with me?"

Opal looked surprised. "No... I mean, I kind of figured she was just trying to hook me up. But why wouldn't she tell me the real reason?"

 _You've said this much, now you also have to finish it._  "Because... 'cause I asked her not to."

-"Why?" Opal appeared to be more curious than displeased, which was probably a good thing.

"I... I'm not entirely certain yet." It felt weird telling this to someone she didn't know, but on the other hand, this girl did appear to be genuinely nice and genuinely interested in her.

-"You mean about the whole 'liking girls'-thing?"

Korra silently nodded and looked down.

-"Hey." She looked up at the soft sound of Opal's voice, who took her hand. Only now did Korra realize that Opal was wearing a pair of soft, grey, fingerless gloves. She looked Korra straight in the eyes, and the former couldn't turn away from those massive emerald eyes.  _They really are beautiful._  "There's no shame in admitting it. For what it's worth, I think you're all the braver for trying this. Even if it turns out to be nothing, then you'll at least be certain."

"Yeah. I guess so."  _NASA might as well stop all deep-space exploration programs. The luckiest motherfucker in the entire goddamn universe is right here in Washington._

Opal got a slight smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes as she let go of Korra's hand. "I have just the thing to test it. Close your eyes."

It sparked Korra's curiosity big time, so she did just that.

-"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"How am I supposed to know that? My eyes are closed."

-"Good answer."

Korra felt Opal's hand in her neck, and suddenly the softest touch of Opal's lips on hers.  _Oh my holy sweet baby Jesus who art in heaven, she's kissing me!_  The shock wanted to make her jolt away, but her limbs had turned into Jell-O and her spine into peanut butter, making any real movement impossible. Opal was holding her head in place, which was probably even a good thing, otherwise, Korra might have collapsed on the spot. She felt the gentlest of touches as Opal's tongue ran past her lips, before Opal broke the kiss again and let Korra go, who found herself leaning heavily on the hood of her car.

Korra was silent for what felt like forever, with her mouth hanging open just a fraction and her eyes still closed. "Okay... Wow..." she finally managed, and Opal let out the cutest giggle.

-"Take your time."

"I'll admit, that was a pretty good test."

Opal chuckled. "I know, right? It's what swung me around." She gave Korra a bit more time to regain her senses. "Want to get going?"

Korra nodded and got behind the wheel, while Opal got into the seat beside her. She started driving in the general direction of Opal's neighborhood, as she knew the map of DC fairly well. It was a good thing most of the people on the road were already old, because Korra was only half paying attention to the road. The other half of her was still trying to process the fact that Opal just kissed her on the first date. Opal's house was only a short drive, but unwieldy bus lines made it such a long trip for her. She pulled up at the driveway of the Beifong Estate, a large freestanding house with and impressive front yard. Ultimately, Korra couldn't hold her curiosity back anymore.

"Why did you do it?"

-"Seemed like a good idea," Opal smirked.

Korra wasn't looking for sarcasm. "Could you not?"

-"Okay, if you want the truth, it's because I really enjoyed the date. But that wasn't the main reason." Korra looked over. Opal's emerald eyes were utterly sincere now. "You were being honest with me, Korra. That's a rare trait. Even more rare is that you trusted me with something you're obviously not very comfortable with. To me, that's worth a lot."

Korra let it sink in. Opal was right, she wasn't very comfortable with herself just yet, but damned if this didn't feel right.

-"Well, you think about it." Opal reached into her bag, and took out a sharpie. She pinned Korra's hand on the gearlever, and quickly scribbled her number on it. "Call me." With that, she got out of the car and went back into her house, leaving Korra to ponder about everything that had just happened.

Korra drove home, and made sure to take a good picture of Opal's number before washing her hand until not a trace of the ink was left on it. That would make for some awkward dinner conversation.

It was brilliant. Blind stupid luck made her fall flat on her face over an amazing girl, who was by all indications willing to take a chance with  _her_ , of all people. It would give her an escape for all three relationships she wanted to avoid destroying: with Asami, because for the entirety of the date, she hadn't thought about her, with Mako, because maybe then, she would stop crushing on Asami and not run the risk anymore of blowing up their friendship, and with her parents, because then she'd have something tangible to go on.

The kiss kept lingering through Korra's mind. The soft feeling of Opal's lips on hers. The way she  _so seductively_ ran her tongue past her own lips. So gentle, without any pressure to choose, nothing but the best intentions from the green-eyed girl. It was totally in a league of its own.

She arrived back home, where her mother was awaiting her. "Did you patch things up with Asami?"

Korra didn't really feel like a cross examination. "What do you mean?"

-"You two spent whole days together, and out of nowhere, you suddenly stopped hanging around with her. Something came between you, and I'm just curious as to what."

"It went fine if you must know. Now do you mind?" Korra barged her way past her mother back to her own room. She could feel her mother's disapproving eyes pierce the wall from up here.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. Korra did her homework, did average in a few matches of Free-For-All, before eating a quick dinner with her parents. Fortunately, neither one brought up her sudden disappearance earlier that day. Her father seemed preoccupied with criticizing Congressman Unalaq, even though it was no secret to either Korra or Senna how those two felt about one another. Her father had held his seat for ten years now, and when Unalaq got elected as one of the six representatives, he dreaded every moment they were forced to meet. That afternoon had been one of those moments, and it went about as well as Korra had come to expect.

-"I come in there, on my Saturday afternoon, he's not ready, makes me wait  _half an hour_  before we can finally start, and then proceeds to tell how to do my job! It was a good thing Tenzin was there, I would have stormed out of that office if he hadn't stopped me."

Senna, of course, followed the story with her full attention. "What do you mean with tell you how to do your job? Doesn't sound like him."

-"No, it's gets better! Now he wants to legislate gay marriage  _in federal law_!"

This sparked Korra's curiosity, who had so far been playing with her lasagna absentmindedly. "What did you tell him?"

-"I told him he'd have a better chance as a comedian than as a politician! It's embarrassing enough that I am forced to work with that man, and now I am forced to live with the knowledge that a man from my own party, _our own state_ , would launch such a preposterous idea."

"Good to know." It was a completely flat response, but her father was too busy with his letting his frustrations about his work out. Realistically, it wasn't a surprise. Korra knew this was her father's opinion. A quick glance at her mother told her nothing new either: Senna was nodding approvingly.  _You are going to be in a world of trouble if they find out. Just keep that shit quiet._

Her father kept on ranting about how ridiculous the idea of gay marriage was, and how idiotic Unalaq was for trying to force this law through Congress. About half an hour later, they all finished, and Korra made a beeline for her room.

She took her phone from her pocket and dialed. It didn't take long for the person on the other end to pick up.

"Opal? It's Korra..."

* * *

_On the gay marriage thing: I actually wrote this a few months ago, when gay marriage hadn't yet been discussed by the Supreme Court, so cut me a break._


	10. Night's Watch

The second date came quickly. Opal was more than a little excited when Korra suggested to watch Big Hero Six. Even though it wasn't her personal preference, Korra could always find something to enjoy in Disney movies, and figured it fitted Opal's innocence quite well. It turned out to be an accurate guess.

So did the third date. Dinner for two, under the false pretense of eating dinner at Asami's place. Luckily, Korra had forced herself to learn how to eat with chopsticks a long time ago, meaning sushi was a safe bet. It's dignified, stylish, and quite frankly, delicious. Plus, since Opal hadn't mastered the skill, it meant Korra could enjoy those beautiful emerald eyes as they spread wide open when she fed her girlfriend with chopsticks.

It went on like this for about two weeks, but reality had a way of being Korra's buzzkill.

Keeping a relationship like this from her parents was quite a lot harder than Korra would have thought. Her father remained pretty oblivious to his daughter's changing demeanor, but her mother, being her mother, started to notice that Korra seemed less agitated, friendlier, and generally more open. Except for the elephant in the room, but Korra was very careful to keep that a secret.

-"Korra, what are you not telling me?"

"What do you mean?"  _Fuck, fuck, fuck, she's onto me!_

-"You're changing, Korra. I don't mind it, actually, but I am curious."

 _Phew..._  "Well, you know, with that whole business with Asami resolved, I guess that was it." Senna wasn't really buying it, judging by her raised eyebrow. "You know, when you just have that click with someone, and then you just kind of fall apart over something stupid."  _Like having a massive crush on her._

Her mother still didn't seem convinced by this answer, but took it anyway. "Well, I trust that you two will keep it up this time. You're looking all around healthier."

"Thanks mom."

Senna turned on her heel, and walked downstairs.  _Good job there Magellan, this is probably the first time you didn't end up fighting in a conversation with your mother._

Korra turned back over her homework, but quickly gave up and decided to text Opal. " _My mom suspects something. Not good._ "

A response quickly came. " _As in, does she know about us?_ "

" _Not that bad, but she notices that I'm changing since I met you._ "

-" _Think you can keep it hidden a little longer?_ "

" _Definitely. I lied, but she wasn't convinced. Gotta come up with something better._ "

-" _We'll figure something out. But work is crazy, I have to go._ "

Korra sighed. It was a shame that Opal worked at her mother's company, it was taking up quite a lot of her time. It was mostly administrations, but between the already existing struggle of Korra having to hide Opal and her true nature from her parents, and Opal's busy schedule, it was no easy task finding time for each other on week days.

That was until Korra had a bright idea. She had to watch Tenzin's children, and since it would be a couple of wasted hours late on a Thursday night, she might as well ask Opal to come with her. Of course, the idea didn't pop into her head until she nearly had to leave. But the Beifong Estate wasn't very far from Tenzin's place, so it should be doable, if she called right now to let Opal know of her plan. So she did.

"Hey Opal, it's Korra."

-"Hey."

"Listen, I just had a bright idea. I have to watch Tenzin's children in half an hour, feel like coming over? I can pick you up on the way there."

-"I don't know Korra, I'm already having a bad day, and I really don't feel like those children."

"No, no, they're asleep by the time we get there, remember? It'll be a couple of hours just to ourselves."

-"Now  _that_  sounds very tempting. Okay. How long until you're here?"

"Twenty minutes, maybe a little more."

-"Lookin' forward to it, sweetie. See you soon."

"Later."

_Wow, you actually had a dating idea that worked. Who would have guessed?_

Korra raced down, because even though Opal's place wasn't too much of a detour, she was already a little late. A quick 'bye mom' and she was out the door and on her way to the Beifong Estate.

A quick text to Opal let her know that Korra was outside, and the slim form of her girlfriend soon emerged from the house. She got in the Audi, and Korra quickly continued on to Tenzin's.

"Hi there."

-"Hi..." Opal's response was bland and disinterested.

"What's wrong?"

-"Ugh, it's just, I'm having one of those bad days, you know? Long day at school, some guy completely screwed me over in the break, I was late to work because I got stuck at the car park at school, and I spent most of my time dealing with the issues of people that I really don't care about." Korra couldn't help a smirk at all this, which didn't go unnoticed. "Are you laughing at me?" Opal asked with an exaggerated pout.

"You're just really cute when you're grumpy."

This caused Opal to blush crazy hard, making the grin on Korra's face even bigger.  _Wow, you just unironically complimented her. It's almost as if your people skills are increasing._

They continued this for a few more minutes, until Opal remarked that it would also be better for Korra if Tenzin didn't know about the two of them. The plan of attack was simple: Korra would drop Opal off just around the block, and Opal would say she happened to be in the neighborhood and stop by. Can't go wrong.

Pema and Tenzin were already in their coats when Korra arrived. They were eager to get going, and Korra just let them. She was about to close the front door behind them, when Opal walked onto the porch.

-"Opal, how nice to see you," Pema said, legitimately surprised. She glanced over to Korra, who innocently raised her shoulder, accompanied by a cute little grin and puppy-dog eyes. Pema returned it with an understanding wink.

-"Well, you know, I happened to be around, so I figured I stop by and say 'hi'."

-"How sweet. Listen, Tenzin and I really have to go, but you're welcome to stay." Pema noticed how Tenzin was following the conversation, so she improvised on Korra's behalf. "Our baby-sitter is already inside, but I think you two might get along."

Korra noticed the smirk on Opal's face from here, which Tenzin couldn't see. "I just might."

Tenzin interrupted them. "Pema dear, shall we get going?"

-"Of course. Nice seeing you again, Opal." She got into the car, and they drove off. Opal went inside to Korra.

-"That was a lot easier than I expected."

"Pema is covering our asses. She wants this to happen almost as much as we do."

They walked into the living room, and Korra pulled Opal close to her by the waist.

"You know, I never really got to properly return that kiss of our first date..."

By the look on her face, Opal was ready to play along with Korra's game. "Oh really? And when were you planning to do this?" she asked, leaning closer to Korra.

"How about now?" Korra cupped Opal's cheek, and pressed a gentle kiss on her lips.

-"That's a lousy return," Opal said, faking annoyance. Korra took it as an invitation to go further, so she wrapped her arms tightly around Opal's back, and pulled her back with her, until they lay stretched over the couch, Opal's slim figure on Korra's naturally broader body. Opal gently put her gloved hand in Korra's neck, and this time they kissed more vigorously. Korra let her tongue run past Opal's lips, who got the hint, and opened up. She let her tongue dance around in Opal's mouth, who did the same to her.

Korra still had her girlfriend pressed flushed against her, and slowly worked her hands back up to Opal's neck. When they finally broke the kiss to draw breath, Opal let her forehead rest on Korra's.

"Better?" Korra inquired, unable to repress a massive grin.

-"Much..." Opal leaned back down, catching Korra's lips with her own again. Korra felt the soft touch of Opal's gloves on her cheeks as gently pushed her tongue past Korra's lips again.

The girls were lost in each other. So much so, that they didn't hear the door of the living room open.

-"Korra?"

 _Mother. Fucker._  Korra's heart skipped a beat or two, as they both looked over to the door, where they saw the small shape of a girl standing in the half dark of the hallway. "Jinora! What are you doing up?"

-"I think the more relevant question is: 'What are you doing with Opal?'!"

Korra realized that they were still lying on top of one another, and Opal scrambled to get off of her. "Look, Jinora..." Opal began, but Korra interrupted her.

"Opal and I are together." It felt strangely satisfying to finally be able to tell someone out loud. Even if said person was a liability, and somewhat of a wild card. "But we want to keep it a secret."

-"Korra, I'm ten, not stupid. I'm just... just a little shocked I suppose."

Opal walked over to her, and put a calming hand on her shoulder. "That's perfectly alright. We just didn't expect you here."

-"I figured. How long have you been together?"

-"Just a few weeks. You haven't missed anything that spectacular," Opal said, while Korra was silently freaking out, trying to come up with a way to make Jinora keep this to herself.

"It's just, my parents don't know yet that I'm dating Opal. I haven't told them yet that I prefer girls over boys, and I really want to keep it that way."

-"So I can't tell anyone about what I just saw?" Jinora said, with an adorable look of disappointment on her face.

"Well, your mother already knows, she's even the one who hooked us up. It's more your father, and Ikki and Meelo who you can't tell. Can we count on you?"

Jinora took a deep breath. "Okay. I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you." Korra heart rate slowed again to a slightly more regular pace. "Now why aren't you in bed?"

-"I couldn't sleep, and wanted to drink some water."

Opal looked over to Korra. "You're getting paid for it, take care of her, will you?" Korra playfully stuck out her tongue to Opal, who got that irresistible smirk on her face again.

"I'll get you some." She walked over to the kitchen, and thanked her lucky stars that it was Jinora who walked in on them, not one of the younger two. Meelo was simply too young to keep something like this a secret, and Ikki was a blabbermouth who would spill it the first time Korra or Opal would be the topic of the conversation.

She gave the glass to Jinora, who took a few sips. There was a silence between them, waiting to burst. Jinora would probably have a thousand-and-one questions, while Korra and Opal were both hoping she would leave soon, because they had some discussing to do.

-"Right..." Jinora started, "I'm getting a sense I'm not exactly wanted here."

-"Well, Korra and I have a few things to talk about. This would be a good a time as any," Opal replied, in her most innocent voice possible.

-"Yes, because you were  _very_  busy discussing things."

"Jinora, that's not the point," Korra said, desperately trying to come up with an argument as to why. "We have been trying to think of a way to tell my parents, and we haven't been able to come up with anything."

-"Why don't you start with this?"

"What do you mean?"

-"Well, since mom already knows about you, and dad knows that Opal is here, why don't you just tell them you met here, and just hit off as friends?" Jinora said.

-"Uh, Korra, that is actually a very good idea," was Opal's input. "We can just spend some time together without you having to lie about it."

The longer Korra thought about it, the more brilliant it became. Tenzin would confirm her story if her father ever was to get curious and Pema was on their side anyway. "I gotta say Jinora, that is really clever."

-"I told you, I'm ten, not stupid. People never seem to believe it."

"Oh, I believe it alright," Korra said, trying to keep Jinora on her side. "You only confirmed my suspicions." The little girl smiled at Korra's remark. "Nevertheless, it's nearly ten o'clock, and you need to go back to bed."

-"Do I really?" she said, cocking a smug eyebrow.

"Yes, you do. And  _no_  blackmailing, otherwise I'll stop coming." Korra knew that look all too well. Jinora quite often used it when she had something on either one of her siblings.

-"Okay..." The disappointment was kind of endearing to both the older girls, but Korra wasn't about to back off.

"Come on, back to bed you." Jinora went back upstairs to her bedroom, and gingerly closed the door, trying not to wake her siblings.

Opal and Korra let out a simultaneous sigh when they heard the living room door close.

"Could have been worse."

-"Maybe, but you know what this means, right?" Opal wasn't at ease, so to speak.

"What do you mean?"

-"We just lit a fuse to a very explosive situation, and we don't know how long that fuse is. I don't doubt that Jinora will try her best to keep this a secret, but I have a horrible feeling it will leak."

"You're probably right. But even though I'm more certain now than I was two weeks ago, I still think it wouldn't fall very well with my parents. Especially my father."

-"Korra, I'm well aware of your reservations, but this is going to come out at some point, and I don't want you to be on the receiving end of the fall out. And I think you would be, given what you've told me about your father." Opal took Korra's hand again, playing with her fingers for a bit, her fingers almost just as soft as her gloves. "I know you're nervous. I was terrified to tell my parents, but as it turned out, my mother always knew."

"Really?"

Opal nodded. "Yeah. The first thing she said was 'I was wondering when you would figure it out for yourself'. She later told me she had been waiting for me to come out since I was twelve."

"Well, I doubt my parents would take it that well. I wouldn't even know if my mother suspects something. My  _brilliant_ people skills run in the family."

Opal sighed. "I know that it will be difficult for you. But you can't keep this hidden forever, and being told is typically better than finding out."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Korra thought a little while. "But would you mind helping me out with a practice round?"

-"Of course I would. I'm here for you."

"I haven't told my friends yet either. The people that know so far are still limited to, in order, Pema, you, and Jinora. Plus, I really owe them an explanation."

-"What do you mean?" Opal asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"What I mean is that I blew them off big time when I was still doubting." She hesitated for a moment. "Please don't get mad at this, okay?"

Opal smiled. "I told you, I appreciate honesty over anything else. Unless you murdered one of them and are secretly hiding the body in the trunk of your car, it'll be fine."

Korra chuckled at her remark.  _Funny and reassuring. Plus, cuter than a puppy dog. How lucky can one asshole get?_ "Alright then. I never had a lot of friends, but this one day at tennis practice, I met a girl. Asami Sato. I instantly thought that she was gorgeous, but didn't really make much of it. Through a few lucky coincidences, we ended up at my place drinking a cup of tea, and that very same day, she started dating my neighbor, Mako, who has been my best friend for years. When I realized that I was crushing on her big time, I was afraid of destroying both friendships in one move, so I shut myself out of their lives. At New Year, I finally talked to her again, but that crush hadn't settled down just yet, so I flagged her down again, and Mako was pissed. I mean, properly pissed. I haven't to either of them talked since. Then I met you, and I finally started forgetting about Asami. Whenever I think of green eyes, it's you. It's always you."

Opal let it all sink in. "Okay, that last bit is really sweet. But do you really think you should tell them all of this?"

"Well, I think the best way to fix this is to tell the honest truth. I don't want to force us into a position where we have to keep up the façade to even more people."

-"Good point. How do you want to go about it?"

"I'll figure something out. How about we talk things over with a nice cup of fresh mint tea?"

-"The place where we had our first date?"

"That's the one."

-"Great. I'll make sure to keep my Saturday afternoon free."

Korra got the devious little grin on her face again. "Now where were we before Jinora interrupted us?"

Opal couldn't repress a smirk at Korra's suggestion. "I think I have a pretty good idea where we left off." She leaned forward, falling into Korra's embrace once again.


	11. Out of the Frying Pan...

Korra didn't know how to start. She wanted some time to properly talk to Asami, and after avoiding her for three weeks straight, not counting the vacation, she'd have to make a pretty good case for herself. She stalled early on the morning, purposefully being late, so that she would arrive after Asami.

 _Now all those hours wasted on watching Jeremy Clarkson bang on about how the Continental is the ultimate Manchester United Mobile will finally come in handy._  She knew she could spot that green Bentley from a mile away. And she did. Asami parked it on the far end of the lot, probably to ensure that no one would accidentally dent it. She was careful with it, can't make an argument against it. Not that it mattered so much, most kids knew to tread carefully around the 200.000 dollar sports car.

School was out, and Korra had made a beeline for her own car, which she had parked right next to the Bentley, waiting for Asami to come out of school, which usually took a little longer than Korra would. Catching up with classmates an stuff.  _Stuff that you know fuck all about, but still. Stuff._

She soon came walking out in elegant pace, confidently stepping around in those 300 dollar boots. Korra started to notice that she could finally appreciate Asami's excellent fashion sense without thinking that those clothes would look a lot better on her bedroom floor.

-"Korra." It was cold, flat, and efficient. And Korra deserved all three.

"Hey, Asami." She briefly paused." Look, I want to apologize. I've been a real bitch to you and I know it. To Mako too, but you've been on the receiving end more than he has."

At this, Asami's face lightened up a little. "Oh. This is certainly a start."

Korra sighed and continued. "I want to tell you the full story, but there is a little more to it than I would want to tell you right here. How about, tomorrow afternoon, you and Mako go and meet me at a little tea shop downtown. It's on the corner of 15th and K. If you can't find it, Mako can, he's been there before. Neutral ground, so that we can have that new start you talked about."

-"Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"I've been trying but he keeps shutting me out, and the weirdest part is, I don't blame him. He's right. I've been a complete ass to both of you, but I've straightened out a lot in my head recently, and I want to make it up to you. Would you please give me another chance?"

Asami smiled. "I'll get him there. Say... five o'clock?"

"Perfect. See you there." They each got into their respective cars, and Korra waited for Asami to drive off. She took it like a champ. Hopefully Mako would take it just as well. Now she had to go tell her parents about Opal. Well, part of it. Almost none of it, really. Just the bare essentials, so that she could spend some time with Opal without having to flat-out lie. ' _Flat-out' being the operative term here. Let's call it a white lie, shall we?_

Surprisingly, that went over pretty well. The name 'Beifong' actually meant something to them. They didn't know from the top of their head that Opal was batting for the other team, which was something Korra decided not to mention.  _The 'don't ask, don't tell'-policy, so to speak._  They were fine with Korra going into town to get a drink with her.

So Korra did. Not going to tennis practice anymore did have one distinct advantage: sleeping in on Saturday was a fucking godsend. Her partially ruined alarm clock read 11 by the time she got up, which gave still half-asleep Korra enough time to take a preposterously long shower and wear something that fit the description 'I guess it smells clean.' It turned out to be her shirt with a very cool arc reactor on it. She spent the rest of the day playing Call of Duty, and was dominating like she typically was on her good days.

Korra had agreed with Opal to show up fashionably late so that they could walk in together. They wouldn't make it too obvious at first, instead let it play out in the conversation.

By the time they arrived at the shop, Korra saw Asami's Bentley parked on the lot already. Meant her plan had worked. 5:03.  _Asami is punctual._

Opal and Korra walked in, and saw Asami and Mako sit next to each other at a table for four. The girls took their seats on the opposite side of the table.

"Guys, I want to introduce you to someone: Opal Beifong. Opal, this is Asami and Mako."

-"Hi." Asami's response was doubtful, wondering why Korra would bring her.

"I asked you to come here so that I could explain a couple of things to you. I've decided that the best way to go about it, is to tell you the full truth. You see, Opal is... my girlfriend."

Mako furrowed a brow. "Girl... Ohh..." The expression on his face was priceless, and if it hadn't been for the utter seriousness of the situation, Korra would have probably burst out into a massive gush of laughter.

-"Is that what all that business with New Year was about?" Asami asked, still not sure how to feel about this.

"Yes. I didn't realize it until the night you broke Tahno's arm. That's why I shut you out. And since I didn't want to blow up everything going on between the three of us, I decided to remove myself from the equation. Then I met Opal, and we've talked about it, and came to the conclusion that this was the best way to tell you."

A silence hung between the four of them. Mako and Asami were processing it all, while Opal was a little uncomfortable, sharing something so intimate with people she didn't know, and Korra was basically a growing snowball of nerves rolling down a very long hill. It was... tense, to say the least.

-"Well, it certainly explains a lot about how you've been acting around me," Asami began, unsure where she was going with this. "But I'm glad you finally told me. I was hoping that we could find a way to talk again. History tutoring isn't the same without you."

"You hired a new one?"

-"If you want your job back, I'll fire him on the spot."

Korra laughed. "That won't be necessary just yet." She turned to Mako. "What do you think?"

-"Well... It's just, I've known you for so long, you'd say I would have noticed something."

"Hey, I didn't know, so how should you know? Nothing to blame yourself for, trust me."

It briefly fell silent again. Asami broke it. "So how did you two meet?"

"Do you remember me telling you about how I watch the children of the house majority whip?" Korra's entourage nodded in perfect harmony. "Well, his wife turns out to be a very good listener, and she knew Opal was single, so she set us up for a blind date, in this very tea shop, three weeks ago. And now, here we are."

Asami smiled. "That's kind of sweet."

With the mood significantly lighter, Opal waved the waiter over, and they ordered. Korra decided that after last time's fiasco, she would stick with a normal cup of green tea.

For the first time, Opal spoke out. "Now I'm going to force you to back up a little." She looked over to Korra. "You said that 'she'" pointing to Asami, "broke Tahno's arm. How do you know a player from my school's football team?"

Korra slapped her hands on her cheek in shock. "That's right, Bolin mentioned something about him going to Eisenhower. Asami, the honor is all yours, it was your handy work after all."

Asami smiled. "I didn't break his arm. He was bothering Korra, so I worked him down to the ground and dislocated his shoulder."

Opal leaned back into her seat with a massive grin on her face. "Oh, this is just too perfect. Tahno is a jerk to everyone who's not part of his inner circle, and when he suddenly showed up with his arm in a sling, he told everyone he had fallen with his motorcycle. Good job there Asami, I like you already. It was about time someone beat a little humility into that guy."

-"Yeah, I guess so," Asami said.  _Well, at least Opal likes Asami. One down, one to go._

They sat there for about an hour and a half. The mood kept getting lighter and lighter, and Mako seemed to be getting used to his long-time friend coming out of the closet. It took some time, and Korra didn't blame him. Before they left, he took Korra away from the other two girls, as he wanted to talk to her in private for a little bit.

-"Korra I think I need to say 'thank you'."

"Why is that? For me being a bitch and a lousy friend to both of you?"

-"No, not at all. Quite the opposite, actually. You can't control who you get a crush on, and instead of trying to force a wedge between me and Asami, you sacrificed yourself to spare our relationship. I'll tell you, if I had more friends who were willing to do that, I would count myself very lucky. I already count myself lucky that I have one."

"Well, I guess..."

-"Come here." He pulled her in for a firm hug. "Now we have to make up for some lost time. How about, we go and see a movie? Your choice."

"That would be nice. I couldn't convince Opal to go see The Hobbit, and I kind of want to see it in theaters."

-"Done. Tomorrow evening?"

"Actually, I already have something planned." Mako looked very surprised at this. "Yeah, believe it or not, but finding time to spend with Opal is harder than I want it to be. Try again on Monday?"

"I can do that. I'll shoot you a time."

They walked back to their table, where Asami and Opal were still chatting nicely.

Asami looked up. "Said everything you needed to say?"

Mako nodded. "Yeah, I think I did. Asami, so you think we should get going?"

She looked over to Korra, who nodded. "Yeah, I think that would be fine."

Asami put down some money for the bill, which turned out to be enough to cover the entire bill, plus a very generous tip. She turned to Korra right before she and Mako left. "Korra, I just want you to know, I'm really glad you told me everything. Hopefully we can finally have a crack at fixing things."

"Yeah, I hope so."

Asami smiled. "I'll find you at the radiator."

Korra's smile didn't fade any time soon.

-"Did that go about as well as you were hoping for?" Opal asked, a smirk lining her face.

"Are you kidding me? It could not have gone better! My best friends accept me, and I can finally start fixing the damage I did."

-"Well, I can definitely see why you had a crush on Asami. She's nice." Korra furrowed a suggestive brow at her girlfriend. "Oh, okay, she also gorgeous and mega rich," Opal admitted.

"Looks like I have a type."  _Wow, another real compliment. Keep it up!_

Opal got a massive smile on her face. "Do you want to get dinner? I know a great place, not two blocks from here. On me."

"That sounds nice."

Opal stood up, and pulled Korra to her feet. She placed a quick peck on the lips, before linking their arms. "Onward to Kwong's!"


	12. Chiseled

Patching things up with Asami meant things went back to normal. At least, what was normal before that one night. Asami didn't hang out with Korra in every break, but the latter was perfectly content with that. She went to hang out with Korra in the lunch break, which was the longest one, and with her classmates in the short break at ten fifteen.

-"So anyway, I was thinking," Asami started, but Korra interrupted her. "Oh dear." Asami got the 'really?' expression on her face, and Korra couldn't help the innocent raised shoulders. "Couldn't resist."

-"Anyway, now that you have your head back in the game, do you want to pick up tutoring again?"

"Well, yeah, but I still don't know anything about the Civil War. Isn't time starting to be an issue for you?"

"Well, actually, that has always been my concern. After you essentially disappeared on me, I waited for a while. I was hoping that we would be able to fix things, but when you didn't come through, my father reminded me that I was on the clock. So I looked up some sort of mediator company who delivered a history student specializing in the Civil War. Guy called Wan. He's not too bad, bit of a douchebag, but he's good at what he does. Still, we've got the rest of World War II to finish."

Korra was slightly taken aback by this. "You actually wanted it to happen so much that you waited for me?"

Asami smiled. "Yeah, of course I did. I mean, we might not have been friends for long, but I really enjoyed the time we spent together. Even if it was on a platonic basis."

 _How in the fucking world? Gandhi would have given up on your ass!_  Korra gave her a nudge with the shoulder. "Thank you. Of course we can pick it up again. Whenever you're ready, just give me a call."

At precisely that moment, Korra's phone rang. It was Opal. She looked at Asami. "Do you mind?"

-"No, no, not at all."

She picked up. "Hey, sweetie."

-"Hey, Korra. Listen, I was thinking-"

Korra couldn't resist interrupting her as well. "You too?" Asami grinned.

Opal stayed silent for a little while. "Anyway, I was planning on going to the gym after school tomorrow, and I was wondering if you would like to come with me."

"The gym? I don't know Opal, I'd love to hang out with you but... that's not really my kind of thing."

-"Maybe not on your own, but with someone it's a lot more fun. Plus, it'll be good for you, your parents might approve, and I've got all expenses covered. I'll explain later, I'm kind of on the clock here. Do you know the large white building with neon lettering near my place?"

"Yeah, I think so."

-"That's the place. What time do you get off?"

 _Any time you can get me to._  "Uhh, 2:30."

-"Great, means we're only apart fifteen minutes or so. See you there?"

"Yeah, I'll meet you there."

-"Okay, I gotta go, bye sweetie!"

"Bye."

As she hung up, Asami got an inquiring look on her face. "Gym date?"

Korra grinned. "Yeah. Never really did anything like that, but it would be a decent replacement for tennis."

-"Yeah, you stopped coming out of nowhere. Last time I saw you there, you nearly ran someone down."

She remembered why, and decided it to be better  _not_  to share that information. "I guess."

-"But seriously, you two are already on a 'sweetie'-basis? It took me forever to get Mako to respond to something like that."

Korra chuckled. "Well, Mako always needed a boostie-up to get to stuff like that. He's a real sweetheart on the inside, but sometimes, you have to crowbar it out of him."

Asami laughed. "Now that you put it like that, it kind of makes sense. I'll try it."

"Don't tell him I put you up to it," Korra laughingly warned her.

The rest of the break and the next day were full of anticipation. Korra informed her parents that Opal had invited her to the gym, and they actually found it kind of nice that someone other than themselves managed to get enough leverage over Korra to get her to exercise. Korra packed the only clothes she could wear to the gym in her car, and went to the building Opal described after school.

It was god-ugly, the most tasteless white brick money could buy, and the combination of pink and red neon only made it worse. She parked at the end of the lot, not looking forward to going into the gym.  _Why the fuck am I even here? I have the condition of a fat trucker, and I'm going with Opal, who's closer akin to a freaking racehorse!_

Just as she contemplated calling her girlfriend off, said girl knocked on her window. Korra was met with an adorable smile and those massive emerald eyes.  _Right. That's why._

-"Hey, glad you found the place!" She gave Korra a quick kiss. "Why'd you park all the way back here? The entire lot is empty."

Korra didn't really know what to say. "Yeah... I, ehh, I don't like dents in my car."  _Liar. This car already has more dents in it than the far side of the moon._

But Opal brushed it off. "Want to go inside?"

Korra nodded, got her stuff out of the back, and they walked across the lot. Opal started to explain how she ended up here. "My parents renovated our house about ten years ago, and there was a discussion whether or not we wanted to turn one of the rooms into a gym. My mother discovered this place, only ten minutes by bike from our house. So she started going here, until it nearly went bust in the crisis. The bank was about to impound the building, but my mom stopped them and bought it. She made a deal with the owner to keep this place open. He only has to pay utilities, but if he ever needs anything metal related, he goes to us. That, and the Beifong logo has to be plastered on like, every wall, but that was a sacrifice he would gladly make."

Korra was deeply impressed. "Wow, That's a pretty neat story." Opal nodded, and Korra continued. "I considered the gym before I was forced to play tennis, but the memberships are pretty damn expensive."

-"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. Every Beifong and everyone brought in by a Beifong gets a lifelong free pass."

They walked inside, and Opal walked to the front desk. A fat man in his fifties with massive sideburns walked out of the door behind them when Opal rang the bell. His hair was perfectly white, and so were his sideburns. _They should have considered this guy to play one of the White Wizards in The Lord of the Rings._  "Ah, Opal, how nice to see you again. Didn't catch you the last few times you were here."

-"Busy times, I'm sure, Toza. Listen, do you think you could get Korra here a membership?"

Toza smiled. "Of course." He ducked under the desk, and came back up with a paper and handed it to Korra. "Just fill in the form, and it'll be ready in a week. You don't have to bother with the debit card number, I got that covered. Anything for a Beifong. Until then, I'll just remember your face."

"Thanks, that's very kind of you." Korra sat down on the bench beside the desk to fill it in. Opal was kind of eager to get going. "Listen Korra, I'm going to get changed. Dressing rooms are straight along the hall, first door left. See you in a minute!"

With that, she was off. Korra quickly filled out the form, and handed it over to Toza. "Is she always this eager to get started on her workout?"

-"Mostly. From what I understand, this is her way of blowing off steam."

"Well, thank you again."

He walked back into the office, and Korra walked over to the dressing rooms. Opal was already gone. She changed into a loose black and pink tank top, the shorts and shoes that she wore to tennis practice, and ventured inside the mostly empty gym. It was what Korra had expected it to be: large and open, with some machines that looked more suitable for a medieval torture chamber,  _or maybe Guantanamo Bay, come to think of it_ , a large mirror on one end and large banners with the logo of Beifong Metal Works on every other wall.

That was when she spotted Opal.

_Oh._

_My._

_God._

Opal looked...  _amazing_. She was dressed in black yoga pants that didn't even reach down to her knees, and her skimpy green top left her belly exposed. Her body was gorgeously toned, muscles showing through the skin, especially on her legs. Her abs left a pattern on her stomach, not in a scary way, but just enough to be  _smokin'_  hot.  _I would give my left leg to run my tongue down those abs._  To make the sight even more sexy, Opal was doing her pre-workout stretches.

All of this made Korra  _even more_  aware how badly out of shape she was.

-"Earth to Korra," she heard Opal say, and was snapped from her fantasies about her girlfriend. Opal giggled. "I know that look. Enjoying the view?"

"I'll say..." It took a moment before Korra had caught up with what she just said, and when she did, it she slammed her hand on her mouth and blush like crazy again.

-"Well, your face doesn't need a warming up anymore. How about you get started on the rest?"

Trying to save herself from further embarrassment, which was much to Opal's amusement judging by the massive grin on her face, Korra nodded set to work stretching her muscles. Under Opal's careful tutelage, she warmed up, and compared to her, was about as flexible as a rake. Opal effortlessly placed her hands flat on the floor without bending her knees, Korra couldn't even touch her shoes without doing that.

She went on cycling a couple of miles, before Opal convinced her to try the ergometer.  _Great. Rowing. Just what I need to kill off the rest of my leg muscles._

Korra and Opal continued exercising for what felt like forever. By the time Opal said they were done, Korra felt like she had just dug her own grave, and was now ready to occupy it. But it was satisfactory, if anything. Korra felt kind of proud of herself. Opal shared the thought. "You know Korra, I'm impressed."

Korra looked over. "What do you mean?"

-"You held yourself up pretty well, given that you told you have never set foot in a gym before."

"Well, when you put it like that..." Korra said with a sly grin.

-"Tell you what, why don't we take a shower, and then we go back to my place. We're having roast chicken for dinner, and it's always too much, even when I feel like I could eat a horse. You should stay over. Chicken is excellent post-workout food."

"Sounds good. I'm going to have to call it in, though."

They went back to the dressing room, and occupied a separate shower cabin each to rid themselves of considerable BO. Afterwards, Korra texted her mother again: " _Opal invited me for dinner. Okay with you?_ "

-" _Yes. Be home by ten._ "

_Meh, could be worse._

Korra was a quicker dresser than Opal, and waited for her in the lobby, where quickly came out. Korra tossed her the car keys. "Got the green light from my mom, and you're driving."

-"And why is that?"

"Because my car is a manual and I can't feel my legs, thanks to your workouts."

-"Fine. But I'm not bringing the car here. It was your choice to park at the far end of the lot," Opal said as she took Korra's hand.

 _Fuck. She's right._  "Thank you for reminding me. Want to get going?"


	13. The Metal Clan

Opal pulled up at the Beifong Estate after a short drive. Sitting down for a couple of minutes was nice, but getting up again was harder than ever.

-"You know, you're in luck."

"Oh yeah, why's that?"

-"The entire family is here tonight."

 _Great. More people to embarrass myself in front of._  "Yay..."

Opal laughed. "Oh, trust me, they're not that bad. I told you my parents have been nothing but supportive to me, and they have been quite curious about you."

"I don't know Opal, I don't do very well in cross-examinations."

-"It'll be fine. Come on."

She practically dragged Korra out the car and through the impressive double front door. She entered a massive hallway, with two staircases on either side of the room. In between them was an opening, leading up to what was presumably the living room. There was a door in front of either staircase, and Korra just couldn't figure out what purpose they served. The floor was a white polished marble, and the walls were lined with expensive paintings, by the looks of it.

-"Mom, we're home! I brought company!" Opal's sweet voice sounded through the air. Out the door on the left came a woman in her late forties, with dark hair, already mostly gray though. She was dressed in a stylish dark green dress, with an elaborate necklace and matching bracelets.

-"Ah, you must be Korra," she began, and quickly extended a hand. "Suyin Beifong, but call me Su. Everyone does anyway."

Korra didn't have to guess which one of her parents Opal had her open personality from. "Nice to meet you."

-"Please, come in, we wouldn't want to have our first conversation in the hall. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Uhh, yeah, sure, tha-that would be nice."  _Nice going there asshole. Way to seem spontaneous._

Su preceded them through the gate underneath the stairs. Korra's guess had been accurate: it led them to a lounge with low, modern sofas and a sleek table in between. It looked like it had been styled by an expert. _Come to think of it, these people are rich enough to have hired a whole army of experts._

-"So, Opal told me you two went to the gym together. Were you able to keep up with her?"

Korra slightly blushed. "No, not really. I'm kind of out of shape. She did tell me the story of how you saved the place."

Su smiled. "Well, I did what I thought had to be done. I hate seeing potential go to waste over money, and I think that place proves my point. Toza has talent, but he has also had a lot of bad luck in his life. With a little bit of help, he turned that place into one of the finest gyms in DC. Plus, it's a good place for advertisement."

"He certainly has. The place looked nice."

Suyin was perfectly hospitable, keeping the questions to a polite number and depth. Korra managed a few witty retorts, much to Opal's amusement.

Korra decided to tell her something her father had mentioned. "You know Su, you're not at all what my father had led me to believe."

She looked surprised. "And why is that?"

"My father worked with you on the railway project. He slid you through as the main supplier for the bridges over the Mississippi, but I don't think he once referred to you by your real name."

-"My family has been called The Metal Clan for generations. It's nothing new, and it definitely doesn't say anything about my reputation."

Korra smiled. "You don't know about the other one?"

Su got curious at this. "What other one?"

"'The Full Metal Bitch'." The mention of this caused Opal the choke on the sip of tea she was taking, due to a gush of laughter. Su seemed to see the humor of it as well.

-"At least you're being honest with me. And yes, I suppose I can be a bit hard, but that's just the business side of me."

"I noticed."

They finished their tea, and Opal and Korra retreated to her room for a bit before dinner.

-"How are the muscles?"

"Still feeling like they are actively seeking retribution for the workout."

Opal grinned. "I figured. You know, I got just the thing for that." Korra couldn't help herself. "You always do, don't you?"

Opal shot her an adorable pout. "You want this or not?"

"Yes please," Korra replied with a small voice.

-"Good. Take off your vest, and get on the bed, face down," she commanded sternly.

Korra did just that, and Opal got on her back, one leg on either side. Her soft hands gave her an expert massage, relieving at least the worst tension from her shoulders.  _Oh God, this day just keeps getting better and better._

After a while she felt Opal turn around, and she grabbed one of her legs, and slowly started squeezing those, one at a time, slowly working her way up from the ankles. To say it was the stuff of dreams was a gross understatement.

"Hmmmmm..." Korra softly moaned. "If this was attached every time I go to the gym, I'd go there every day, come hell or high water."

Opal quietly laughed. "Well, I'm not making any promises." She got off, making Korra roll over, and was met with a pair of twinkling emerald eyes. Korra knew that look all too well.

Opal leaned down, catching Korra's lips with her own. Korra felt Opal's gloves slide past her cheeks again, and did nothing to stop her. She instead let her hands glide down Opal's side, and along the hem of her shirt. She worked them under the shirt, gently rubbing Opal's bare lower back. They never broke the kiss, instead deepening it.

Opal gently moaned into Korra's mouth as she felt those hands on her back. She felt her girlfriend's tongue enter, and Korra took it as permission to take it a little further. She let her hands slide up Opal's back, feeling the muscles move underneath the skin. Opal pressed herself more into Korra's body, and she felt a surge of heat rush through her core.

Korra pushed her own lips harder against Opal's, which were starting to swell up a bit. The feeling of butterflies in her stomach was unmistakable, with Opal leaning into it more as well, it felt like they couldn't even be crowbarred apart.

-"Ahem."

Opal shot up. "Christ, Wei, ever heard of fucking knocking?!"

He was unfazed. "These doors have latches, they close. Dinner is ready. We're waiting for you and what's-her-face."

-" _Korra_ ," she replied, cold and firm. "And you're not making a very good first impression on her."

-"Whatever. Dinner. Now." He walked off with large paces, and a disgruntled Opal rolled off Korra with a loud groan. She shot a questioning look into the green eyes. "My youngest brother, Wei. One half of the Wonder Twins. Don't worry, they're not total assholes, they're just a little preoccupied with themselves."

"I don't think I ever heard you swear so much."

-" _That's_  what you took away from this?"

"Family quarrels used to be almost a daily occurrence at my place, even though I'm an only child. I just yelled at my parents. But I guess you're not as innocent as I had you pegged."

A devilish little grin broke across Opal's face. "You have no idea." She placed a quick kiss on Korra's lips. "Come on. Time to face the music."

They ventured back down into the dining room, where Korra was introduced to both Baatar Sr. and Jr., Huan, and the so-called Wonder Twins, better known as Wei and Wing.  _Great. Tweedledee and Tweedledum not only look alike, they also have copy-pasted names. Thank fuck I'm dating the one that's most easily distinguishable._

Korra waited for Baatar Jr. to carve up one of three roasted chickens, and he gave her a piece of the breast. Served with top notch mashed potatoes and two full boiled cauliflowers with a hefty dash of nutmeg, it was a simple but delicious meal. Surprisingly, the Beifongs made short work of devouring the considerable mountain of food, but Korra's help was required.

Sr. was rather quiet, but what he got across, he seemed nice enough. Su led most of the conversations, making doubly sure to keep a close eye on the twins, or rather, a close ear to make sure they wouldn't go too hard on Korra. They were kind of self-centered, just like Opal had predicted. The oldest two got into a bit of a squabble, concerning the importance of the aesthetics versus the actual engineering possibilities.

Opal and Korra kept mostly to themselves. When the discussion between her older siblings entered a particularly energetic phase, she couldn't help but shrug. "This is my family for you alright. And I wouldn't trade them for the world."

After dinner, Opal and Korra went back to Opal's room. Korra suddenly spotted another pair of the fingerless gloves on Opal's desk. "How many of those things do you have?"

-"You mean the gloves?"

Korra nodded. "I don't think I've ever seen you without them. Is there some sort of bigger story behind them?"

Opal seemed hesitant. "Well, yes... But it's kind of silly."

"Hey." This time it was Korra who took the initiative to take Opal's hand. "That's what I'm here for. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't care."

Opal smiled. "Well, it all started with my aunt Lin. She and my mother never got along, always bickering and stuff. Then when my mother got pregnant with Baatar Jr. they tried to put their differences aside, so that he could grow up without having to live with an estranged aunt, pretty much our only family. Four children later, the relationship had increased significantly, and on my fourth birthday, she bought me a pair of these gloves. She always wore them herself on the beat, and we were always having fun whenever she came over about beating up the bad guys. I loved them, and by next year, they were completely worn out. So she bought me a new pair for my next birthday, and so on. But when I was seven, she and my mother had another huge falling out, and I haven't seen her since. But my brother knew how much it meant to me, so every year on my birthday, he buys me a new pair."

"And you think it's silly?"

-"Well... yeah. I mean, it's kind of naive to hope that she shows up some day and that I still wear them, you know?"

"I don't think it's naive, or silly. I think it's really sweet." She pulled Opal close, and gave her a chaste kiss on the head.  _The perfect end to a perfect day._


	14. And Into the Fire

Getting back in the habit of tutoring was nice. Even though Korra had picked up a new schedule, she managed to work in time to accommodate for teaching Asami history. And it also meant that for the first time ever, Korra was busy.

"What date was the first atomic bomb dropped?"

-"8:15 in the morning, August 6th, 1945. Little Boy, over Hiroshima."

"A result from what program?"

-"The Manhattan Project, under the supervision of Robert Oppenheimer."

"What was the main incentive for Truman to give the order to drop this bomb?"

-"The Battle for Okinawa, in which over 50.000 American soldiers died. The general idea being, that if they would fight that hard to defend a small island, how many soldiers would have to die trying to take the four main islands, fighting a country which was already on its knees?"

"And where was the Japanese surrender signed?"

-"Aboard the USS Missouri, September 2nd, 1945."

"Excellent work Asami. Really, I'm impressed."

-"I've had a good teacher."

"Well, I haven't got any more. That was the end of World War 2."

Asami smiled. "Not really, according to you."

Korra was very surprised. "You actually remembered that! I gotta be more careful about what I say around you, you'll put that shit away like Sherlock Holmes."

-"But I'm still waiting for you to tell me what the actual reason was the Japanese surrendered."

"On August 9th, around the time the US dropped the second nuke over Nagasaki, the Russians declared war on Japan, on insistence of China and the US. The Soviets were reluctant about fighting a two-front war, but now that Germany was finally defeated, they could help the US in the Pacific theatre. They started with the colonies in China, and the last thing the Japanese wanted was a Russian invasion on their main islands, so they surrendered to the Americans."

Asami seemed intrigued. "But why doesn't anyone know about that?"

"American pride, mostly." Korra smiled. "History is written by the victor. The Soviets locked all that information away in closed archives, which didn't open until after the Union fell in 1991. Meanwhile, the Americans had 46 years to sweep it under the carpet and thus, nobody knows about it."

Asami looked thoroughly impressed. "Then how do you know about it?"

"Sometimes you just stumble across things, you know? This was one of those times."

-"Well," Asami drummed a few times on her desk and pushed her chair back. "Enough history for today, as far as I'm concerned. How about an episode of The Walking Dead?"

"I don't know, maybe something a little more active?"

-"You have really become something of a fitness-nut since Opal asked you to go to the gym with her, haven't you?"

Korra gave her a crooked grin. "Yeah... I guess you could say that."

-"Korra, you've lost like 10 pounds in a month. Plus, I can see your muscles through your shirt all of a sudden. What happened to make you so... so driven?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Well, it's kind of... Okay, let me put it like this: Opal's choice of wardrobe in the gym doesn't leave a lot to the imagination."

Asami seemed a bit puzzled at first, but quickly got what Korra was implying. "Say no more. You don't want to think you're a lazy bum."

Korra smirked again. "It's a bit late for that. But Asami, it doesn't matter that you're straight as an arrow, if you were there, you would have been gawking at her right alongside me."

Asami furrowed a brow. "That good, huh?"

Korra nodded. It fell silent for a bit, so she decided this was a good a time as any to leave. "Listen, Asami, I gotta go. I promised Opal to go to the gym tonight, so I managed to pressure my parents into eating early."

-"Really? You'd be more than welcome to eat here."

"Nah, that'd be a bit rude. I'll be fine."

-"Well, your call."

Korra smiled, and the girls said goodbye. She went to her car, and because she chose to leave early, avoided the worst of the rush hour. During the simple dinner, her parents announced they had to leave as well, meaning they wouldn't be home anymore when Korra would come back. ' _Some gala' in town. Means that they get to eat caviar on the taxpayer's cost. Charming use of our money._  After dinner, Korra was off again immediately, this time to meet the other girl in her life.

The workout went great. Korra managed not to focus on Opal's gorgeous features too much, and instead on her exercises.

She was in the lobby again, waiting for Opal again, who quickly came out of the dressing rooms. "Feel like coming over to my place for a bit? My parents are gone anyway. I'll drop you off again here afterwards. What do you say?"

Opal doubted for a bit, but ultimately agreed. "Why not?"

The drive back home was pleasant enough, and finally being able to hang out at Korra's place without having to hide anything felt relieving. They just watched a bit of TV under the enjoyment of a drink, Opal leaning against Korra, head leaning on her shoulder. In turn, Korra let her head rest against Opal's.  _God, her hair is soft. Why don't we sit like this more often?_

Neither was paying any real attention to what was on, it was more a case of just cuddling after a hard workout. Letting the sore muscles come to rest worked double well when you are leaning against your own private stove. But all good things must come to an end, and when the clocked struck ten, Opal decided now would be a good a time as any to leave.

She stood up, and Korra let out a dissatisfied groan. "Ugh, do we have to go? This was far too good!"

Opal smiled. "I know it was, but I really need to go home. So come on, you promised me that you would take me back to my place." She pulled Korra on her feet and wrapped her arms around her neck, pressing a gentle kiss on her lips. "There's more when you get me back home," she said, with a smirk. But Korra wasn't smirking.

She was looking at the window.

She hadn't closed the curtains.

She was looking straight into her father's eyes.

It took less than a second for him to get into the house. His face was red with anger, his breathing deep, yet his voice was calm. Korra suspected it was only the calm before the storm.

-"Beifong, out," he commanded.

Referring to Opal by her last name was not a good sign. "Opal, don't..." but he interrupted Korra.

"Get the  _fuck_  out of my house!"

Opal gave Korra a reassuring look, but it had a hefty scoop of desperation and concern in it. "It's fine, Korra, I'll go." She walked past Tonraq, who didn't take his eyes off her for a single moment until he heard the front door close. Senna had come in as well, and stood beside her father, but she looked more shocked than angry to Korra.

-"Explain this.  _Right now!_ "

"Take a guess."  _Yeah, he's only on the verge of either going on a rampage or having an aneurysm, might as well poke him with a stick, see what happens._

-"Don't you test me Korra! Don't you fucking test me!" he yelled, pointing an accusing finger at her.

"Alright, you want the fucking truth?! I'm dating Opal. Have been for the past two months, and you two have been too fucking blind to notice."

-"You're putting this on us? You're doing... this with her and you're blaming us?!"

"I'm not blaming you for this, I'm blaming you for not seeing it! Opal's mother knew since she was twelve! And neither of you two suspected a goddamn thing about me, did you?"

-"Of course I fucking didn't! I did not raise my daughter to be a despicable...  _lesbian_!"

"That's because you didn't raise me! Mom did! And even if you did, it wouldn't have made any difference!  _This_  is who I am!"

Her father was still seething with rage, and took a deep breath through his nose. "You are never to see that girl again, do you understand me?"

Now Korra got fully furious. "No! You can't keep playing God over my life! It's my life, and for once, I'm in control! Don't you realize that I am finally happy?"

-"I won't have it! Not like this!"

She felt tears welling up, but was able to beat them back. "That's because you don't care! You never cared! All you care about is your career," and she turned to her mother, "and all you care about is making us the perfect cover of Lifestyle fucking Weekly!"

Tonraq wasn't letting up. He was determined to get his way. "This is your last chance Korra!"

All of a sudden, it was crystal clear to Korra. She needed to get away from them. Far away, if at all possible. "FINE! Fuck you, both of you!" She stormed past her parents, and glanced at the tears in her mother's eyes. On the table in the hallway, she spotted a bunch of keys, and grabbed one of them. Once Korra was outside, she saw that Opal was waiting for her.

Tonraq had appeared behind her in the doorway. "And don't you  _dare_  come back here!" he yelled, and resolutely slammed the door behind her.

She clicked the keys, but found her Audi locked.

-"Uhh, Korra?" Opal said with a small voice. "It's that one," she said, pointing to her father's Volvo. A quick look at the key in her hand confirmed that, and Korra briskly walked over. "Get in."

-"I don't think tha..."

"GET IN!" Korra yelled. Opal looked shocked, but obeyed quietly, gingerly getting into the passenger seat, while Korra took the wheel. She smashed the throttle, making the car shoot forward, racing down the street.

-"Korra, pull over!" It was Opal's voice, laced with panic that drew her back into reality. She didn't know where she was, only that she was driving. "Shit, slow down! You're doing 70!"

Korra slammed the brakes, and turned into the parking lot of a McDonalds. She got out of the car, where it had begun to drizzle and took a few paces to nowhere in particular. As the realization of the mess she had worked herself into started to dawn on her, she couldn't fight back the tears anymore. It was the pure anger that held them at bay earlier, but now they began to flow. As she buried her face in her hands, Opal walked up to her, and pulled her into a hug.

She didn't know how long they were standing like that. Korra felt deflated when Opal finally pulled away, but never took her hands off her shoulders.

"What have I done?" Korra asked, more to herself than to Opal.

-"That doesn't matter right now. We need to get out of here. You just get in, I'll drive."

Opal gently pulled her over to the passenger side of the car, and put her into the seat. Korra felt how she put her jacket around her, then she fell asleep.

When she woke up again, she wasn't in her own room. She had a splitting headache, and her eyes were sore.  _Fuck. Meant that everything wasn't a dream._  Opal was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her hand and gently caressing it with her thumb. Korra looked into her massive green eyes, and they gave her a sense of comfort. "Good morning sweetie. How do you feel?"

"Like I have an axe lodged in my skull."

-"Alright," she said. "I'm going to get you some aspirin, and you're going to go back to sleep. I need to go to school, but you're not going anywhere. My mom is working from home today, she's going to keep an eye on you. I'll leave my phone here, so you can call anyone you want. Mako's number is in it, so you can always call him."

She pressed a kiss on her forehead, and left the room, only to come back with a small bottle of aspirin and a glass of water, and she placed them on the nightstand. "Here you go. I'm gonna leave them here, and I'll be back as soon as I can. Deal?"

Korra nodded, and Opal gave her another chaste kiss on her forehead, and turned around once more before leaving the room. Korra could see a combination of regret and despair in her eyes, but then she was gone.

A quick look around told her that she was in Opal's room. After taking some of the aspirin and a sip of water, she let herself fall back onto the bed, only to fall back asleep.

When she woke up again, 'Addicted to You' was playing, but Korra couldn't locate the source just yet. When she finally snapped out of zombie-mode, she realized that it was Opal's ringtone, and the phone was on her nightstand. It was Mako.

"Hello?" she said, still half asleep.

-"Korra?" was the surprised response. "God, Korra, where are you? Asami and I have been worried sick! I heard all sorts of 'fucks' coming from you place last night, and now you aren't answering your phone!"

"I'm at Opal's place."

-"Korra, what happened last night? It sounded like World War III going on at your place."

"Take a wild guess."

Mako was silent for a while. "Your parents found out."

She sighed. "Yeah. My father saw me kiss Opal, then we had a huge fight, and my father kind of kicked me out of the house, but I also kind of ran away, and -" Korra interrupted herself as she realized she was rambling. She fell silent, and she could hear through the phone that Mako was in his break at school. The silence seemed to last forever.

-"So now what?"

"I... I have no idea."

She could almost hear Mako's brain work overtime as he was trying to figure something out.

-"Well, if you can think of anything you need, just let me know," was the only thing he could manage.

"Thanks Mako. I appreciate that." Neither of them knew what else to say. "I guess this is it for now. I let you know when I figured something out."

Korra could hear him sigh. "Alright. Take care, Korra."

"Bye." She hung up, and put the phone back onto the nightstand.

The alarm clock read 10:35. She had no way of reaching Opal, and didn't know Asami's number by heart, though Mako would have probably shot her a message by now. She got out of bed, and put on the clothes that Opal would have taken off to put her to sleep.

Once downstairs, she looked up Su's office, where the Beifong had heard her coming and opened up before Korra had even knocked. "Ah, Korra, you're up. How do you feel?"

"Not exactly what I'd call 'on top the world', if you know what I mean."

With a grimace, Su nodded. "Well, after some breakfast and a cup of tea, everything will be better. Come on." She preceded her into a luxurious kitchen, and pulled open various cabinets to give Korra a chance at a good start of her day, and made two cups of tea with an insta-boiling water tap. Korra skipped the breakfast and instead sat down at the table.

Su handed one cup to Korra, and took a seat opposite of her on the kitchen table. "Opal told me what happened last night. I want you to know, you're welcome to stay as long as you want to. You're at a very delicate point with your parents right now, and I don't want to pressure you into doing anything you don't want to do."

"Thanks." Korra didn't really know what else to say right now. She just held her glass, warming her hands on it, staring at the steaming tea. Su didn't say anything, and let Korra just sort her thoughts as she gingerly sipped her tea.

"Did I fuck up everything between me and my parents?" Korra eventually asked, feeling the tears behind her eyes again.

Su thought for a while. "I can't speak for them, of course. But as a mother, I couldn't imagine what it would be like if one of my children would storm out of my life without  _any_  warning."

"Well, clearly Opal hasn't told you about how we parted ways."

-"She did. The last thing your father yelled after you was 'And don't you dare come back here', before slamming the door shut."

Korra sighed and nodded. "Sounds about right."

-"Can I offer you some advice?"

She looked at Su with an approving look. "If you want to fix things with your parents, I'd say that you need to give it some time. Sit it out for a while, wait until the worst of the anger has cleared the air. Then, you sit down with them, and talk it over."

 _Is your luck of running into good people like this a bottomless well? One asshole simply cannot be_ this _lucky!_  "Yeah. I think you're right."

Su smiled. "Like I said, take all the time you need. Meanwhile, you can take a shower upstairs if you want to. I'll put some towels up for you." She briefly paused. "Just take it easy for today."

Korra slowly finished her tea, and didn't feel hungry at all, despite not having eaten anything since before last night's workout. She heard Su come down the stairs again, and went upstairs to the bathroom. She turned up the shower to very hot, and when her skin was red from the heat and the rough way she dried herself off, realized that she didn't have any clean clothes with her.  _Opal's clothes wouldn't fit, and no way in hell am I wearing Su's._

She dressed herself in her dirty clothes, as they would be better than nothing. After wiping the mirror clean of the steam, she saw something she absolutely didn't want to see. Korra saw just how much she really looked like her mother. With her hair falling in front of her shoulders like it was now, the resemblance was uncanny. It only served to remind her of everything that had happened. Not just last night, but in the seventeen years before. How her parents had only ever tried to own her life. How they had tried to force their every belief on her. How they had tried to mold her precisely in their image.  _No longer._

Korra rummaged through the drawer, and found something she had expected Baatar Sr. to use. She pulled out a straight razor, and bunched her hair up behind her head. She put the razor close to the base of her head, and in one move, pulled it through her thick bunch of hair.

The new look in the mirror only served to make her more aware of how hopeless her situation was. Korra sat down against the bathroom door, and softly started crying.


	15. Extinguished

After cutting her hair, Korra had quickly lost count how long she was sitting in the bathroom, but it was long enough for Su to check up on her. There was a gentle knock against the door.

-"Korra? Are you alright? You've been in there for over two hours, and I'm starting to get a worried out here."

She didn't want the Beifong to see the kind of mess she had made of herself. Korra had been crying for so long, her eyes were stinging like hell, and her throat felt like it had swollen up to about the diameter of a syringe. "I'm fine, Su, I just needed some time," she lied, her voice just as raspy as she had imagined it would be.

-"You're not fine, not even close. You sound like you've eaten a cheese grater."

 _God-fucking-damn it. Another one of those human lie-detectors. How is it that every mother in the world is one, except for mine?_  With a sigh, she pulled herself together, stood up, and opened the door. Su put a hand over her mouth in shock and her eyes went wide. "Christ, Korra, you look like hell! What did you to your hair?!"

Korra only shrugged. She didn't know anything to say to the shocked woman in front of her that would make the situation clearer. Su collected her thoughts and put her arm around Korra, leading her to Opal's room. They sat down on the bed, side by side. It stayed silent for quite a while. It took Su's initiative to break it again. "I realize that this is probably hard on you, not to mention a bit weird, given that we don't really know each other. But you don't have to face this alone. If you don't want to trust me, that's fine, but then you should at least trust Opal, or your friends."

Su stood up, and left the room in precisely the same manner Opal had earlier that morning, turning around to face her again before going out the door. Korra let herself fall back, and felt that Su's comforting words had done precisely the opposite of what the latter was hoping to achieve. The thought was completely selfish, but it had made her realize just how shitty her own parents had been. Here she was, completely desperate, and Su didn't even hesitate to take care of Korra like she was her own daughter. And all awhile, her father had been one step shy of manhandling her out of the house, and was probably feeling pretty content with himself.  _Damn that bastard. There's gotta be something to be done about that._

She kept contemplating the issue, once again forgetting about the time, until the door of the room flew open. The small figure of Opal appeared, panting from running up the stairs. "Korra!" She briefly paused, staring in surprise at Korra's new hairstyle. "What did you do to yourself?" more quietly this time around.

"I cut my hair," was the dry reply.

-"I can see that, but... why?"

Korra hesitated for a moment. "When I looked in the mirror, it reminded me of my mother, and I definitely didn't want that right now. So..." Korra stopped there, and simply gestured to the now lacking hair.

Opal took some time to properly eye her up. "You look like you descended through the seven circles of hell. How long have you been crying when I was gone?"

She sighed. "Long." She could feel that Opal was looking for something to say.

It took her a while, and she pulled her desk chair to the edge of the bed, on which Korra was still sitting. Opal took both her hands, carefully holding them like they were made of porcelain.  _Including the gloves. Are you joking here?_  But the little trick did work. Korra was still looking down, but she could feel Opal's emerald eyes burn into the top of her head. Korra looked up, assuring Opal that she had her full attention.

-"Korra, I said that I would help you with this, and I intend to keep that promise. But I can't help you if you won't let me."

She sighed as she realized that Opal was completely right.  _You're not exactly being cooperative to the people who are trying to help your sorry ass._  "Okay. What do want to know?"

-"I... I was wondering why you have been crying so much. Specifically."

Korra sighed. "Because it's easier than fighting it. Because I'm not strong enough not to." She paused for a moment. "Because I don't know what else to do."

-"That's horseshit and you know it. You were strong enough to sacrifice your own feelings over those of your friends, remember? You can't tell me that you're too weak."

Korra let Opal's words sink in, another silence falling between them. "I guess, deep down, I was hoping that my parents would still accept me. Or at least, do something other than kick me out of the house."

-"I'm not going to make an argument for them. They had no right to do that."

"No kidding, right?"

Opal sighed and fell silent. "You're still wearing the same clothes as you did yesterday," she eventually remarked.

"Well, I didn't have time to pack before we left."

She smiled. "Well, at least your sense of humor has come out unscathed. Should I go over to pick up some stuff for you?"

Korra got a slanted grin on her face. "Do you really think my father wants to see you right now?"

Opal rolled her eyes as she realized Korra was right. "Meh, I guess not."

"I can give Mako a call, he lives next door anyway."

-"Alright, you go do that, then I'm going to get something to eat. Want something?"

Korra shook her head, and Opal left to go and still the worst of her hunger. She picked up Opal's phone again, and looked through the last calls, and picks Mako. He soon picks up. "Korra?"

"Yeah, it's me. Could you do me a favor?"

-"Of course?"

"Do you still have that spare key to my house that I gave you?"

-"Yeah, sure I do."

"Good. I kind of need you to use it, get me my phone, the charger, my wallet, and some clothes if you can manage it. My parents are gone for the next couple of hours, so they shouldn't be a problem."

-"What kind of clothes?"

 _Ugh. Men._  "Every kind. Just pull open my closet, and put some shirts, pants and underwear into a bag. There's a grey duffel bag under my bed. The rest of the stuff should also be in my room."

-"Alright. Doesn't sound too hard."

"Do you have Opal's address?"

-"Ehh, come to think of it, no, I don't."

"I don't know it from the top of my head, I'll text you the details in a minute."

-"That would be nice."

"Thanks Mako. For doing this."

-"Hey, that's what friends are for, right?"

"I guess so. Later."

-"Bye."

He hangs up, and Korra ventures down to ask Opal for the exact address, and texts it to Mako. Like clockwork, an hour later, he shows up with a bag full of Korra's stuff. They make some small talk, but he is a little bit in a rush, so they don't make it too long. Korra is just glad to have some clean clothes and her phone back. A quick inspection learns her that Mako stuffed her bag almost to the breaking point, and that she has enough clothes to last her at least a week or two.

Korra skips out on dinner, still not very hungry or feeling like the questions the Beifongs would undoubtedly have for her. She just stayed in Opal's room, absentmindedly trying to break her high scores in Angry Birds. But it suddenly dawned on Korra. Her next move.

Opal came back up, and as soon as she stepped in, Korra wrapped her arms around her. She kicked the door shut and pressed Opal against it. She caught her lips with her own, and Opal was slightly shocked, but did return the kiss. Korra pulled her girlfriend even tighter against her body, pressed flush against each other. Opal cupped Korra's cheek, and she took it as the green light. Korra moved her hands down to the hem of Opal's shirt, working her hands underneath it, once again feeling to supple but strong muscles, as Opal moved against her body. She wrapped her arms around Korra's neck, and pushed her back to the bed in the process.

As soon as Korra felt the edge of the mattress in her knees, she tightened her grip around Opal, and let them fall back onto the bed. For a change, she rolled the both of them over so that Korra herself was on top. It meant Korra couldn't freely move her hands on Opal's back anymore, but that didn't matter: it was part of her plan.

She broke away from Opal's lips, and was met with longing gaze, essentially saying 'what are you stopping for?'. Korra moved her kisses from Opal's lips to her jaw, and pushed her hips slightly into her girlfriend's. There was a slight twitch, but Korra disregarded it, as the heat in her own core began to rise. She gently caressed Opal's sides under her shirt, working her way up to her bra. "Korra, stop..." she panted, nearly inaudible.

Korra didn't. Instead, she gently bit in the skin of her neck, and gently cupped Opal's breast, squeezing the hard nipple through the fabric of the bra, rolling it between her fingers. "Korra!" Opal sounded much firmer this time around, and grabbed Korra's wrist like a vice, pushing her hand away. She rolled over and stood up, leaving Korra on the bed, while a massive wave of guilt washed through the latter girl.

-"What the hell were you doing?!" Opal sounded both angry and disappointed.

Korra didn't know what to say. "I..." but from there, she couldn't think of anything to justify her actions. She sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

-"You shouldn't apologize to me, I don't care about that."

This made Korra look up. "What do you mean?" she asked, even though she knew exactly what it meant.

-"I told you, I'm not as innocent as I may seem. I'm talking about you."

Korra let her head hang again, getting the implications Opal was sending her way.

-"You weren't doing this because you really want to, did you?" Korra simply shook her head. "You were doing this to spite your father." The statement was probably a bit colder than Opal had wanted to, but it was 100 percent accurate. She once again felt tears welling up in her eyes. Opal sat down beside Korra, once again gently taking her hand with her own, the feeling made all the more comfortable by the soft gloves.

"I'm sorry," Korra reiterated. "For everything. I'm a fucking mess, and yet you have been there for me, all the way, and what do I do? First I yell at you, and now I use you as nothing more than a tool to get back at my father." The tears gently started flowing over her cheek.

-"Don't be sorry. You're not a mess, you're just confused. And given everything you've been through, I'm surprised you didn't turn out worse." She pulled Korra into a tight hug, assuring her that nothing between them has changed.

"I'm tired, Opal," Korra said snickering. "I'm tired of doubting between hating my parents and wanting to get back to them. I'm tired of not knowing what to do next. And I am  _so_  tired of crying."

-"It's okay to cry. I won't judge." Opal gently started caressing her shoulder.

Korra finally stopped trying to hold her tears back, and let them flow freely. It fell silent for a while.

-"You can repair everything." Opal finally said. "And I'm going to help you, in any way that I can. But we can't do anything rash, and I especially don't want you to do something you would regret later on."

Korra smiled through her tears. "Thank you."

The girls cuddled for the rest of the evening, and eventually fell asleep in each other's arms.


	16. Emergency Repairs

"Are you sure you want to wait out here?"

-"Korra, I am helping you through this, come hell or high water. Just because it's a bit nippy doesn't mean I'm not going to wait for you."

Korra sighed. It was Sunday afternoon. After Mako had dropped off her phone, she had been doubting whether to call her parents or wait for them to call her. Ultimately though, her mother had called her on Saturday, late in the afternoon. It had been a very brief conversation, as neither one wanted to have it over the phone, and they agreed to meet in the teashop on the corner of 15th and K. Neutral ground. Opal had insisted on coming along, and was hell-bent on waiting outside for Korra, even though it was quite cold.

They had gone there in the Volvo, and Korra told her mother to bring the Audi, just in case they wanted to make the switch. Korra had seen her own car parked on the lot, and she put her father's car right next to it.

Now though, as they were standing in the parking lot, out of sight of the shop itself, Korra was feeling very nervous. "You can fix this, remember? Your mother wouldn't have driven halfway across town just so she can yell at you some more. It will be fine." Opal's emerald eyes gave her an assuring look, and she gave Korra a quick kiss on the lips. "Now get in there." Korra smiled at the reassuring words of her girlfriend, and let go of her hand, before walking into the shop.

It was busier than she had come to expect, given that when she typically came here, it was quiet. Now though, quite a few people seemed to get out and enjoy the first fair weather day of the year. But since everyone always overlooks that it was still cold, they ended up in a teashop so they can warm their hands on something other than their pockets.  _Not all that surprising, come to think of it._

A quick look around revealed that her mother had taken refuge on a table for two in the far corner. Korra walked over to her, and took the seat across from her. On the table, there were only two things: a cup of tea for her mother, and the keys to her car. Korra could have recognized her completely worn-out model of the Eiffel Tower anywhere. Her father had bought it for her when they had taken a vacation to Europe, when their family was actually happy.  _Ever such a long time ago._

"Hey mom."

Senna got a cautious smile on her face. "Hi Korra."

Neither one of them knew how to start.  _The silence was deafening, so to speak._  A waiter came over, making Korra look up. She had already decided what she wanted. "Fresh mint tea with honey, please."

He nodded, walked off, and the silence returned.

"So," Korra began. "You'd imagine that we would have plenty to talk about, and yet here we are, staring at the table."

-"Korra, I'm sorry about your father."

The very mention of him put Korra on edge. "Why isn't he here?  _He_  is the one who forced my hand, and now he's making you do the dirty work of cleaning up his mess."

-"He doesn't know that I'm here." she reacted sharply. "I don't care that he would disagree with me for doing this, you are my daughter as well."

"Really? Judging by what happened last week, I wouldn't have called that."

Her mother bit her lip, obviously uncomfortable with Korra pressing her nose on the facts like this. "I know. I haven't been a good mother, and these past few days made me realize that."

Korra wanted to soften up and this confession of her mother, but the response that came out of her was very sharp. "It's a bit late, wouldn't you say? 17 years, by my calculation. Whenever I wanted to talk to someone who would just listen, I would go to Mako. Hell, Naga was higher on that list than you. When I first started doubting whether or not I was gay, I didn't go to you for precisely this reason. I went to Pema, and she took it like a champion. Instead of judging me, she supported me, and she set me up on a date with Opal to stop me doubting. She even went as far as hiding our relationship from Tenzin, just so dad wouldn't find out. And just this week, when you kicked me out, I ran to Suyin, the one dad calls 'The Full Metal Bitch', and you know what? She took me in with open arms, telling me to take all the time that I needed to..." She interrupted herself as she felt the anger coming back. Korra wanted to stay calm, for as far as she still could.  _Another benefit of meeting in public. You'd both make an absolute fool of yourselves if you started yelling in here._

Senna sighed. "I want you to know, I never wanted him to kick you out."

"Then why didn't you stop him?" Korra paused for a moment, and continued a bit softer, as she noticed her voice began to rise again. "Why didn't you stop me? I walked right past you, and you didn't even say a word. It took three days before you even so much as gave me a phone call, even though you knew there were only three, maybe four places I could have gone."

-"I wanted to go after you. But I knew your father wouldn't want me to. So I tried calling you, but you left your phone at home, and right then, I didn't know where you went. Mako came by the next day, and told me that he had taken your phone, your wallet and some clothes to you at the Beifong Estate. I thought about calling you. I thought about every minute. But I constantly stopped myself."

Korra noticed her mother's lip started trembling a little, and that tears were slowly building in her eyes. "Why?"

-"Because I was afraid that you would hate me. For doing exactly what you just said. Not stopping you from barging out that door. Not even speaking out against your father." She hesitated a little. "I am sorry, Korra. I am  _so_  sorry about all of this."

"You don't know what it's like, do you? Being forced to hide yourself away, first from yourself, and then I had to keep Opal hidden from you, and then, I..." She sighed. "For all my life, I just wanted you to accept me, and approve of me."

-"Of course we accept you. You're our daughter."

"Then why are we having this conversation here?" Korra allowed it to fall silent for a moment, while her mother took it all in. "I have let that fight replay in my mind so many times. At the time, saying that you just tried to make us a family from a lifestyle magazine was meant to hurt you. But when I finally calmed down, I realized that I meant it. I have always been disappointing to you. I have mediocre grades, poor manners and I am lousy at sports. I have no social life to speak of, and your idea of me finding a man, getting married before I turn 25, then punch out a couple of kids, that's completely out of the window."

Senna sighed. "Yes, I suppose it is. And I suppose I wanted us to be one of those lifestyle magazine families. But I wanted that to make us all happy, and not be a perfect family, but a happy one."

"Then why do I get the feeling that me batting for the team other throws a wrench in the works? Because it's not a traditional way to be happy and content?"

-"No, but..." She hesitated. "Yes. I guess this doesn't fit the grand plan I had in my head for us. But that doesn't mean I don't want us to be happy together. Please Korra. Come home with me, and we can talk this out."

Korra was nearly started crying herself. Here her mother was, practically on her knees, pleading, begging for her forgiveness. And yet, Korra couldn't bring herself to do just that.

"And do what? Just brace myself for another massive fight? Shall I keep some spare clothes at Opal's place, just so that I would have somewhere to go? You said it yourself, dad doesn't even know that you are here. Why wouldn't you tell him about this, if you think we would genuinely have a chance?"

Silence descended on them again. Her mother was desperately trying to think of something to say, but couldn't come up with something. "I don't know. Maybe because I wanted to know you would want to go along with this as well."

"Mom, I want to fix this, but I don't know if  _he_  wants to."

-"You can't just dismiss this on the off-chance that he would go berserk again. This is our  _family_  we're talking about, Korra."

"But what if he does? Then we'll be right back at square one."

-"I will make sure that doesn't happen. I will take your side this time."

"Will you? Really? You talk about repairing our family, that I am your daughter, but I know what you think of... people like me. You may not be as vocal about it as dad is, but you have agreed with him for as long as I can remember." Korra paused for a moment. "Could you accept me the way I am? That if you would see me and Opal kiss, you wouldn't be forced to turn away in disgust, just because you disagree with me?"

Senna had trouble talking. She was forcing the words out, almost one at a time. "Please Korra, just... just come home with me. We can work past that." Korra could see that she was on the verge of breaking down into tears. But she couldn't give in. She knew it would be a mistake.

She chose her words carefully and resolute. "Answer me this, and I'll go with you." Korra gave her mother a hard stare. "When was the last time either one of you truly gave a fuck about what I was feeling?"

Her mother's eyes darted all over the place, looking for an answer that just wasn't there. She leaned back into her seat, hand covering her mouth, and the first tear started rolling across her cheek. The expression of disbelief was heartbreaking.

Korra felt that she was about to break down as well. "I figured." She pulled the keys to the Volvo from her pocket, and threw them on the table. "Ask dad if he cares more about this than he cares about me now." She stood up, and grabbed the keys to her Audi, ready to leave. "And ask yourself whether you saw me as a your daughter all this time, or as the means to an end."

Senna softly began to sob into her hands, leaning on the table. And just Korra left her, going outside again.

Opal was waiting for her there, on a bench against the front wall. As soon as Korra came out, she stood up, and saw the expression on her girlfriends face. Korra slowly shook her head, and Opal couldn't do anything but pull her into a tight hug. Korra couldn't do anything but gingerly cry on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"What is wrong with me, Opal? I just made my own mother cry, and now I don't know if should feel sad, or scared, or ashamed or..." Korra fell silent.

Opal didn't pull away, instead just turned her head so that it was buried in the crook of Korra's neck. "Or what?" she asked, ever so softly.

Korra hesitated. "Or pleased." She turned away from her girlfriend. "What kind of fucking freak am I? I just reduced my mother to tears, and here I am, feeling pleased with myself."

Opal had trouble thinking of something to say about that, and it took her a while, as Korra cried. "You're not a freak. This whole situation is just so messed up, and you're caught in the crossfire between your own feelings and your parents'." She gave Korra some time to let it all sink in. "Did you at least make some progress?"

Korra nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I think we did. I gave her some food for thought, that much is for sure."

-"Well that's great, right? Baby steps. Like I said, it's a mess, You can't expect to fix it overnight."

A smile appeared on Korra's face.  _God, this girl is amazing. No person in this world would have done more to help you through this better than she has._  "I guess not." Korra pulled Opal in for a long kiss, throwing in all of her gratitude and love. "I am so lucky to have you here. I don't know how I would have done it otherwise."

Foreheads and noses leaning against each other, Opal tried to put her at ease some more. "No one should have to go through something like this alone. I just want to do whatever I can to make this easier for you." She wiped away Korra's tears with her glove, and pressed a sweet little kiss on her lips. "Come on. Give me those keys, and I'll drive us back to my place."


	17. Reinforcements

**Spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers follow. Go watch it if you haven't already. Also, shame on you.**

* * *

-"Gandalf..." Aragorn gazed up from slaughtering Uruk-Hai as The White Wizard stood on the hill.

-"Théoden King stands alone."

-"Not alone." Éomer joined him, and drew his sword. "Rohirrim!" The 2000 riders came up behind the captain, and Théoden looked up in relief. "Éomer!"

-"TO THE KING!" The Rohirrim charged down the hill, racing towards the ten thousand pikes waiting for them. Fearless, the Mithrandir summoned the light of the sun behind the charge, and as the Uruk-Hai were blinded, the horsemen rode them down, winning the battle for Helm's Deep.

Korra smiled. "That's my favorite part..." she softly muttered to Opal, who was leaning against her. She looked over, and saw the hint of a tears in the green eyes, gloved fist in front of her mouth. Korra barely stifled a laugh at the sight, and decided to tease her a little bit. Cautious, so that she wouldn't disturb her, Korra reached for the remote, and paused the movie.

-"Hey!" was the frustrated response. "What did you do that for?"

"Two days ago, you declared me insane for forcing you to see these movies, and now you are practically crying over the victory."

Opal admitted defeat. "Okay, you got me. These movies are awesome. Now give me that remote, or no good-night kiss for you."

Smirking, Korra handed over the device, and Opal restarted the movie, but this time around, tightly held on to it, much to Korra's amusement.

The movie was over soon, but it was already quite late at night. Korra was still curious, though. "Why were you nearly crying at the Charge of the Rohirrim, but not at Haldir's death?"

Opal pouted. "It's your favorite part, and you don't? It's just so beautiful, Éomer was banished, but then he shouts 'To the King!' as he charges into battle!" She clutched her fists at the thought. "This movie was awesome, and so was the previous one. When are we going to watch the next?"

Korra laughed. "Whoa, easy there, the third one is a long sit, it's past ten and I have kind of had it."

-"Alright, fine, we'll watch it some other time." She wanted to say something else, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. It was Su.

"Korra, You have a visitor waiting for you in the living room."

The younger girls gave each other a questioning look, and Korra went down to find out who it was. When she walked into the living room, she instantly forgot that she was quite tired. Her mother was sitting on one of the couches.

"Mom." She was completely on edge, even if the movie had taken it somewhat out of her.

-"Hey Korra. Why don't you sit down with me?"

She took a seat on the couch opposite of her mother separated by a coffee table, still cautiously eyeing her up. "You should have called. It's quite rude to show up on the doorstep of someone you don't know without any warning."

-"I know. But I didn't want to have this conversation over the phone, and I want you to hear me out."

Korra relaxed a little. "Alright. I'm listening."

-"I've done a lot of thinking since we met. I thought about everything you said, and I realized that you were right. For over a third of my life, I have tried to force my ideals on you, not even considering if you agreed with them. I had everything planned out in my head, and I never asked you if you agreed with them." She paused for a while. "We haven't been entirely honest with you, Korra. Both your father and I knew all along that Opal was gay. She makes it a little more obvious than you. But we decided that it wasn't too big of a deal, and seeing how you two genuinely got along, I didn't want to shoot down someone who was having a positive influence on you."

"And you never suspected what was really going on?"

-"The thought had gone through my mind, but I dismissed the idea, thinking that you wouldn't do something like that. Your father isn't as perceptive, hence why it was a total shock for him to catch you like that. For me, it was a surprise, but not one that came entirely out of nowhere."

It fell silent for a while. Korra thought about her mother's confession, and found it a bit strange. If she did have a clue, why did she allow her father to go so far? Was she... afraid of him?

"Why didn't you ask me before all this?"

-"Would you have told me?"

 _Good point._  Korra sighed. "I guess not."

Senna continued. "You said I wasn't high on your list of people to talk to, and you have certainly proven that. I called Pema, and she confirmed your story once I told her what I knew. She also told me that Jinora already knew, and that she was the one who suggested the guise of friendship."

Korra smiled. "Yeah. Opal and I had been dating for about a month when we agreed to meet at Tenzin's place when I had to babysit there. Mutual acquaintance and all that, it would give us a few hours to ourselves. Opal and I were making out when Jinora came down, and she caught us red handed. Or lipped." She had deliberately given this much detail to gauge her mother's reaction, and much to Korra's surprise, she didn't even flinch.

-"This was what kept lingering through my head most of all. You asked me if I could live with the thought of you being with her. At first, I didn't think I could. I didn't think I would be able to accept it, seeing how you are correct in thinking that I agree with your father."

She took a deep breath, as if preparing for the worst. "But then I saw the way you two held each other outside of that teashop, and you just looked so...  _happy_. That's when I realized that,  _no_ , I don't care. I don't care that you fall for girls. I don't care that I disagree with you on a subject like this, because what I care so much more about than a general idea is you, Korra. When I said that I wanted you to be happy, I meant it. And I hate myself for forcing you to take such drastic measures to make me realize it. You are my daughter, and just because I disagree with your sexual orientation, doesn't mean I won't love you unconditionally. Because I do, sweetheart. I do."

Tears were welling up in both their eyes, and Korra nearly jumped over the coffee table to pull her mother into a tight hug. "I love you too, mom. And I know that I haven't made it easy on you, but I'm glad that you're here." She stopped, as they both started crying out of sheer relief. But it wasn't just relief that Korra felt in her mother and in herself. It was also the distinct feeling that she could finally trust her mother, no matter what would come next. There was a comfort in the hug that Korra hadn't felt before from Senna.

They sat there for a long time, holding each other tightly. When they finally let go, Korra let out a chuckle. "Why did this have to take 17 years?"

Senna laughed through her tears too. "I don't know, but I hope that we can finally start being honest with each other."

"Yeah." Korra fell silent for a while. "So now what?"

A sigh came from her mother. "I was hoping you would come home. You've been gone for nearly a week, Korra. It has taken a toll on your father and me."

Korra felt a wave of guilt building. "Have you told him that we talked?"

She nodded. "After what you told me, I couldn't just go back to the 'hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil'-status quo. But he's not the only who gets a say in our house. Half of it is mine, and I say you can live there." Her mother paused for a while. "We have been married for 30 years now, Korra, and we haven't fought as much as we have in the past week. Almost every morning, and every night, we end up yelling at each other."

_Aaaand that wave just turned into a tsunami. First stop: Washington DC._

-"The number of nights we spent apart since our wedding can be counted on one hand, but we couldn't even sleep in the same bed this week. It put a lot of tension on us, to say the least. When I told him that I went to see you, he exploded. I didn't know what to do, but he was furious."

 _Next stop: Chicago._  Korra had her hand in front of her mouth. "He didn't... hit you, did he?"

-"No, he would never do that. But he does avoid me. He knows that I am taking your side in this. That doesn't fall well with him. He still doesn't want to acknowledge you, but when I forced him to by telling him about our meeting, it was more disbelief, that he felt like I betrayed him rather than anger at you."

 _They're getting wet feet in Des Moines._  "And yet you still feel like we have a chance."

-"Together, we can get there. He wouldn't oppose both of us if you suddenly stood in front of him. Plus, like I said, that house is half mine. I'm will protect your Korra, even if it's the last thing I ever do."

 _And it just crashed on the foothills of the Rocky Mountains._  Korra sighed. "I'm sorry mom. You're not the only one who should be apologizing, I should be as well. Because I can't control my temper, and I shouldn't have blown you off like I did. I said all those horrible things, and even if it was to press your nose of the facts, I'd be lying if I said I didn't do it to hurt you as well."

Senna didn't respond at first. It took her a while, but it was with a sincerity Korra wasn't used to. "You shouldn't be. Like you said, we forced your hand, and I guess, in a way, what you said that day was what I needed. I needed a good kick in the rear. But now we need to focus on what to come, and that is that you should come back home with me."

Korra sighed. "Okay. But you have to promise me one thing."

Her mother got a confused look on her face. "What's that?"

"That you're going to fuckin' knock before you go into my room!" she said smirking, before being pulled into another hug by her mother.

-"I'm still going to berate you for your language, though."

Korra smiled, feeling like going back to her parents' house was actually going home.


	18. Home of the Brave

Korra ran up the stairs two at a time, she was so excited, and barged straight into Opal's room. "Opal!" She flew her girlfriend around the neck. "You're not going to believe this! My mom came by, and we just talked everything over and decided to go home, to face my dad together!"

The green-eyed girl was kind of startled by Korra's exuberance, but quickly regained herself. "That's great! I told you, you could fix it all."

Korra let go, and with a massive smile on her face. "Yes you did," she said, nearly bouncing on her feet in excitement. "We just talked, and she admitted that she would have liked to see it differently, she definitely approves of us. She saw us outside the teashop, and she said that I looked happy. Imagine if she saw us on a good day."

Opal giggled. "Don't get ahead of yourself. This is a big step, but you still have your father to convince. From what you told me, that's going to be the more difficult one."

This brought Korra's spirits down a little bit, and she sighed. "Yeah, I guess. But now that I have my mom on our side, he's outnumbered and outmatched. I think we have a pretty good chance at convincing him to at least tolerate it. I don't care about his approval, as long as he doesn't kick me out of the house again. But I have to pack! All my shit is spread around this room!"

-"I know, you're kind of a slob."

"Oh what, like you are that much better."

Opal playfully stuck her tongue out and smiled. "Point taken. I'll help you collect, but you can always come back for what you forgot, am I right?"

The thought of this made Kora all fuzzy inside.  _No more hiding. No more sneaking around._  She wrapped her arms around Opal's neck, and pressed a quick kiss on her lips. "You are. From now on, it's easy sailing for us."

They quickly stuffed whatever Mako had brought by in Korra's bag, and she was on her way down, where Suyin sat down with Senna to drink a cup of tea together. "Ah, Korra," the Beifong said. "I see you packed your stuff. You don't have to rush anything, it's already late. You can stay one more night if you want to."

Korra looked over to her mother. Senna got a smile on her face as Korra declined. "No. I really appreciate everything you've done for me, but I think it's time I go home."

It felt weird saying it. Coming here was so easy, because even though it formally wasn't her home, it felt more like home than her own house. Nobody here was judgmental, or demanding, they all just accepted her as the latest addition to the family. Her situation might have also had a lot to do with it, but Korra's new-found physique meant she could measure up with both Opal and the Wonder Twins, she could find herself in Huan's art and Baatar Jr.'s engineering projects were surprisingly interesting. Suyin was kindness itself, and Baatar Sr. was very indifferent about Korra living with them, but she barely saw him, so it didn't matter.

This was all a stark contrast with her own home. Her mother pushing her around, and her father with his disapproving scowl. She never really thought about it, but the lack of siblings meant no peers, no one to agree with you or stand up against your parents. It had always been her versus them.  _Until now._

-"Korra, shall we get going?" Senna asked cautiously.

"Ehh, sure, but how did you get here?"

She smiled. "By cab. I was fairly certain I could win you back with that little speech I had prepared."

 _Well, you know what they say, this is The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. She certainly took that phrase to heart._  "Well, then I guess I'm driving us back."

Korra started walking to the front door, but Opal stopped her. Senna was right beside them, and simply took Korra's bag and keys from her hand. "You two take a minute. I'll wait in the car."

Opal pulled her into a tight hug. "You be careful now."

Korra chuckled. "Relax, I'm going to my father, I'm not leading the charge of the Rohirrim. I'll call you to let you know how it went. That, or I'll be back here in give or take an hour and a half."

-"Still, you never know." She gave Korra a firm kiss. "Good luck. You're going to need it, both of you." Korra looked into Opal's emerald eyes one last time, and turned around to walk to her car outside.

Her mother was behind the wheel, so Korra just made herself comfortable on the passenger seat. She drove off, a bit clunky since she wasn't used to the manual transmission. "Sorry. I'll try to spare your clutch."

Korra just smiled. "Doesn't really matter, it's already knackered. Opal isn't a very good driver either."

A genuine smile crept across her mother's face, which was something Korra hadn't seen from her in a long time. It was a surprisingly heartwarming sight. As soon as they had left the Beifong Estate, Korra posed the question that was hanging between them.

"So what are we going to say when we get home?"

Senna sighed. "I don't know, Korra. I had gotten about this far, but I honestly wouldn't know what to say to your father when we get back."

This got the younger worried. "That means we have to improvise."

-"Basically, yes."

Now it was Korra's turn to sigh.  _Magnificent. You suck at improvising._

It fell silent for a long time, the both of them trying to come up with a solid reason to let Korra stay. Unfortunately, neither could come up with something more intelligent than 'It's not just your house, half of it is moms/mine', until they turned back into their home street. Senna took Korra's hand, and gave her a reassuring smile. "It's going to be all right, Korra."

Korra tried nodding convincingly, and she stepped out of the car with her head held high. Tonraq was already waiting for her in the doorway, and pointed an accusing finger at her.

-"What are you doing here? I warned you not to come back here."

Her mother immediately jumped into the breach for her. "Leave it Tonraq. She's here because I asked her to come back with me. We have talked it through extensively, and came to the conclusion that we both wanted to do our absolute best to repair what remains of our family. Even if you don't want to, we do."

He eyed his wife up with half squinted eyes. "I will not have that kind of filth in  _my_  house. You can come in, she is not staying."

-"It's not just your house, is it? Married in common goods, remember? Half of the house is mine, so I get half the say. The only way you can get us to leave, is by manhandling us out the door. And I take it you wouldn't want that kind of attention?"

This took Korra by complete surprise. Never would she have guessed her mother to be so determined, so cutthroat. But it seemed to be working, as she could see her father weighing his options from behind the door of her car.

Tonraq took a deep breath, and gave in. "Fine, have it your way." He stepped out of the way, and let her mother pass. Korra took her bag from the backseat, and walked in as well. As she walked inside, her father gave her the dirtiest look imaginable. "Welcome home, Korra," he sneered, and he turned around on his heel, taking large steps back into the living room.

Korra and her mother couldn't do anything but stare after him. They gave each other a meaningful look, and Korra went upstairs, back to her room.

It was just the way she left it.  _A giant fucking mess. How the hell did Mako find anything in here?_  She threw her bag into a corner, and let herself fall onto her bed. The feeling was nice, back in her own room. The many movie posters that lined the blue walls were familiar, making her soon feel comfortable again. Of course, it wasn't as comfortable as falling asleep while cuddling with Opal, but it was home and it was just going to have to do.

Then she heard her parents yell at each other downstairs. Korra couldn't make out what they were saying, but she could take an 'educated guess'. She walked out on the balcony next to the stairs, where her father came barging out the living room, seething with rage. He noticed Korra looking down at him. "This is all your fault! Happy now?!" he yelled at her, before barging out the front door and slamming it shut behind him.  _Déjà vu anyone?_

Korra rushed downstairs, and found her mother on the couch, her face buried in her hands and leaning on her knees. She sat down next to her, and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. Senna leaned against her daughter, desperate more than anything else.

"What did he say?"

Her mother sighed. "Care to take a guess?"

"He doesn't want me back, and he didn't want to stay with me under one roof."

-"Pretty much."

Silence descended on them again. Korra couldn't exactly say she was surprised. It wasn't so much that he always  _got_ what he wanted, he made it happen. But this situation was completely out of his control. The two most important people in his life, and he has zero influence on their decisions.

"Where do you think he went?" Korra eventually asked. In truth, she didn't care, but she didn't know what else to say.

It took a while before Senna responded. "I don't know." She paused for a moment. "This wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

Korra sighed. "What did you expect? That we would give me a big hug, and then throw me a welcome home-party?"

-"Well, no, but I at least expected him to be a little more mature about it."

"How did he end up so pig-headed? Nobody ever told me."

-"It's because everything he has, he had to work hard for. You never met his parents, and there was a reason for that. His father, your grandfather, was a drunk. He died before we even met. His mother tried to scrape something of a living together by working as a hairdresser by day, and as a waitress by night. She worked herself to death trying to provide for her three sons and one daughter. With her absence, your father was the oldest one, and he pretty much raised his siblings. Any one of them would have been a handful in their own right, but three of them, with a complete lack of parents, and minimal means made it extremely taxing for him. He had to raise them with an iron fist, hence why he can be so harsh and unforgiving. One day, the youngest, his sister, was killed by a drunk driver. With only two brothers left, he felt like he had failed. His family had fallen apart, and every attempt he made at saving it had proven fruitless. He sent both of his brothers off to boot camp as soon as they were old enough, as he couldn't take the stress of taking care of them anymore. He headed to law school himself, determined to succeed where his father had failed. That's where he earned the nickname 'The Iceman'. It was not so much his personality, but the way he worked. He was always cold-blooded, clean, methodical and thorough. But that was not the man I fell in love with. He was also warm, and compassionate to his friends. After he graduated, we agreed on building our own family, and he was determined to do it right."

She sighed, and took a moment to regain her thoughts. "In a way, he did. Our family has been his proudest achievement, but it has been difficult for him as well. He doesn't like the idea that he is not in full control. It has been forced on him from such an early age, that adapting to anything else is extremely difficult for him. He has always struggled with you, and you even admitted that you haven't made it easy on us. The older you got, the more you started to disagree with him, and he never took it well. And now... this, he sees this as his ultimate failure, because he knows he cannot control it. You are both stubborn, and you both refuse to give in. Don't think I blame you, though. He should get over himself, and come to grips with the fact that not everything is, or even can be in his control."

Korra was stunned. Her father had always refused to talk about his past, and now she knew why. To be very fair, it wasn't even surprising. His control over his siblings was what kept them alive. Small wonder that he tried to micromanage every aspect of her life. And all the more reason why this whole 'coming out'-thing doesn't fall well.

She felt the wave of guilt build up in her again. She had seen this as a victory, finally being able to break free from his iron grip. But now she realized that when he said that he was trying to keep her safe, he meant it, and more importantly, that he had every reason in the world to be worried, he had seen it all go wrong before.

It was silent for a long time after Senna stopped talking. She had told his life's story, something Korra had always been curious about. But now that she knew, she wasn't sure if this was what she wanted.

"Why did you never tell me this before?" was the first thing Korra managed. It felt like a stupid question.

-"He didn't want to tell you, because it would be opening up old wounds for him, and he wanted to spare you the worry. If you knew, he thought you would worry about it, carry the mistakes of his family with you. He opted for control instead, lock it away, never to talk about it again."

"But it explains everything! You could have told me this years ago, and I would have at least understood why you were so controlling about my life."

-"He didn't want to, and I think you understand why I didn't want to push him. It's his burden to bear, and his choice to tell you. But now it seems like our last lifeline. I think you need to know if we want to have any chance at truly making this family whole again."

Korra sighed. Her mother's reasoning made sense. Her father would probably need some time to himself to let it all sink in. One week of shouting at his wife wouldn't do him much good. But even with that in mind, she would have to talk some sense into him at some point. Korra doubted that he accept her full stop, and truth be told, she didn't care. But he had no right to make her mother's life a hell because of that. She would have to fix it at some point in time.


	19. Happy Birthday

**Spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King follow. Again, go stand in the corner and be ashamed of yourself if you haven't seen it yet.**

* * *

"Mom, would it be okay if I actually got around to celebrating my birthday this year?"

-"We always celebrate your birthday."

Korra rolled her eyes. "No, I mean  _celebrate_. Your version is the one where we eat cake with a cup of coffee, I was thinking about inviting a few people. Nothing big, just hanging out here on Saturday."

This was met with a raised eyebrow. "Has Opal gotten into you already?"

"That's not really an 'already.' We had been dating for something like three months when you caught us. It might seem shorter to you, but trust me, it's not."

-"Fair enough." Her mother thought for a while. "Who did you have in mind?"

 _Halfway there._  "Opal, Mako, Asami, and maybe Bolin. Just here, and hang out for a bit. Have some fun."

-"You do know Pema and I are going to that new play on Saturday, right?"

"Well, yes, that's why I want to do it that night. We'll have the house to ourselves, no one will be bothered by us."

Senna thought for a while. "Alright. Just don't make a mess."

"Have I ever?" Korra smirked.

-"There is a reason I bring that up, you desperately need to clean your room. That is my condition."

 _You have got to be kidding me. It's going to take a dump truck to clean all the junk out of that place._  "Fine. Steep price to pay though."

-"If you're looking for pity, you let it come that far by never cleaning it."

"I guess. Well, I should get going. I promised Opal that we would finally watch the third Lord of the Rings, but it's been kind of busy."

Senna slightly winced. Korra could tell that even though she had given her approval, she still wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of her being with a girl. That being... thought, she managed to hide it well enough that if Korra hadn't been looking for it, she wouldn't have seen it. "Okay. Have fun, dear."

Korra smiled, and got into her car. Living halfway across town was, on the one hand, kind of a shame. Being able to spend more time with each other that week was nice, but on the other hand, it was all the more satisfying when they did get to see each other.

The driveway of the Beifong Estate was empty. Opal let her in as soon as she rang the doorbell, meaning she had been waiting for her. "Hi sweetie. How's things?"

Korra smiled. Opal's wide-eyed innocence never failed to do that. "Oh, you know, things have calmed down."

-"Still no word from your father?"

"Not a peep." Korra sighed. Since he stormed out on them two weeks ago, they hadn't heard from him. Not directly, at least. Tenzin told her that he showed up for work every day, and that he made pretty long days, something which was not _that_  unusual. But it had been a sore spot for her mother. They hadn't spoken about him since the night it happened. Korra could tell that it was hard on her, almost as if she was blaming herself for this.  _In all fairness, it is kind of her fault, but that's beside point._  "He knows how to reach us, and if he wants to talk to us, he'll find a way. Now how about we spend the next three and a half hours on our asses watching the fate of Middle-Earth unfold?"

-"As long as I can watch your ass beforehand." This comment got Korra blushing, and earned Opal a good smooch.

"Let's get it started." Korra fired up the Return of the King, while Opal made sure they had positions on the couch which would allow them to both sit snuggly together while still being able to watch the screen. It was what Korra had promised: The White City of Minas Tirith, the reforging of the shards of Narsil into Andùril, The Beacons of Amon Dîn, Andy Serkis' underrated performance, Shelob's lair, the epic second charge of the Rohirrim, the Dead Men of Dunharrow, the Battle at the Black Gate, the coronation of Aragorn as King of Gondor, and Frodo stabbing Sam in the back by sailing to the Undying Lands.

Opal cried during the-biggest-dick-move-of-all-time-scene, "Go home, Sam". Korra still hated that scene, just because of the knowledge that everyone is supposed to sympathize with this guy.

But after the fifteen thousand endings, both girls were fully satisfied by what they just watched.

-"I gotta hand it to you Korra, that was great. I can't believe no one forced me to watch it before."

"Neither can I. It's the greatest work in cinema of the past decade, and you never got around to it?"

-"Never thought I'd like them, but there you go."

A comfortable silence fell. Neither girl felt like doing something. During the course of the movie, they had sunk further and further into the couch. Opal was resting her head on Korra's breasts, using them as a makeshift pillow. Korra absentmindedly played with Opal's hair for a bit, when Opal broke the silence between them.

-"Hmmm, your boobs are really soft..." she murmured through her teeth, but Korra heard it clear as day. It brought a massive smile to her face, knowing that Opal probably hadn't meant for that to come out.

"Oh really? Never would have guessed."

She felt Opal tense up. "Crap. I said that out loud?!"

Korra couldn't suppress her laughter anymore. "Yes you did. Good thing too, half-asleep thoughts are always good to know. Or at least fun."

Opal got off her, and turned around. Her face was completely flushed, and this only made Korra laugh even harder.

-"Stop it! It's not funny!"

"Yes it is, and you know it." Opal made an adorable pout, and Korra couldn't help giving her a quick kiss. "Well, it's always good to know that you like my boobs."

Opal smiled. "I guess it is." She stood up. "We should clean up before we fall asleep." It wasn't that much. A few glasses, and a bowl for the popcorn. Korra knew she had to go home, as it was nearly midnight. Before she walked out, she turned around to Opal again.

"Before I go, I want to ask you something. I was planning a small party Saturday night, for my birthday. Feel like coming?"

-"Of course I would. Just tell me a time and a place, and I'll be there." They gave each other a good-night kiss, and Korra was on her way back home.  _One down, three to go. Might as well do those the modern way._  When she got home, she sent them all a text, explaining the particulars of the idea in her head. Even though Mako and Asami had dinner plans, Korra just moved it up an hour, so they were happy to come.

Bolin called her up not long after she invited him. "Hey Korra, would it be cool if I would bring my new girlfriend?"

Korra was surprised. "New girlfriend? What did I miss?"

-"Oh, that's right, I didn't tell you yet. Her name is Ginger, and we met at the movies. But could I bring her along? I don't feel like fifth-wheeling all night."

 _You inconsiderate bitch. Not a hair on your head had thought about that._  "Ehh, sure, I guess. If you think it would be fun for her as well, I don't see why not."

-"Because you don't know her?"

"Good point, but I trust your judgment."  _Liar. You're just trying to get rid of your guilt. You wouldn't trust his judgment if it was the last thing on the face of the earth._

-"Nice. Well, I gotta go, see you later!"

He hung up, and Korra decided now was a good a time as any to go to bed as well.

Saturday couldn't come quickly enough for Korra. She was eager to see all of her friends together again. Sure, she and Asami kept busy reviewing her history lessons before her exams, Mako occasionally watched a movie with her, and there were various work-out and make-out sessions with Opal, but the entire group together, that didn't happen very often.

But it wasn't so far just yet. She would just have to wait it out, one day at a time. So she just talked things over with Asami in the break, huddled against their radiator.

"Asami, did you know Bolin had a new girlfriend?"

-"Yeah, I saw her a couple of times. She's a pretty redhead, but didn't look too bright."

"Hmm. Mako said something like that."

Asami looked surprised. "Did he now? He didn't say a word to me."

"Did you ask him the right questions? You know Mako: he's even less pro-active than I am."

This got a laugh out of her. "Yeah, I guess so. But what did he tell you about her?"

 _Great. Gossip hour._  "Oh, you know, basically what you just said. I believe the exact phrase was 'dumb as a brick', but I could be mistaken. Don't tell Bolin."

-"Korra, I'm insulted. You really think that little of my people skills?"

"I use myself as a frame of reference, it taught me a few hard lessons." Asami laughed. "What? Gotta work with what you know, right?"

-"Fair enough." She quickly checked her phone, as she got a text, presumably from Mako, judging by the smile on her face.  _Still, could be worse. Two close friends of yours are a cute couple. At least they're not on the verge of breaking up._

-"So Korra, tell me, why do I feel like this party is kind of a big deal to you?"

It was a bit of a painful question to Korra. "Well, you know, other years, it wouldn't have been very busy. Just Mako, and maybe Bolin if he could be bothered. Then there was the significant hurdle of my parents, that has become a lot lower in recent weeks, and I now have simply more people to invite, making it worthwhile."

-"I suspect this has everything to do with your father leaving?"

Korra immediately went on the defensive, even if she didn't know full well why. "He didn't leave! He just needs some time to take it all in."

-"I thought he kicked you out, and you're defending him?"

"He's still my father, and he has his reasons. But no, we haven't heard from him directly since he walked out the door."

-"How's your mom taking it?"

Korra sighed. "Not too well. Every time I try to bring him up, she changes the subject, or just leaves. She blames herself for this, you know. I have to do something about it, I don't know what. My mother wants him to accept me like she does, but he hates my guts for this, and he also doesn't like that my mother is on my side."

-"Have you ever thought about calling in outside help?"

"Like who? Should I call Tenzin, hoping that someone who tolerates me because his wife tells him to, would actively try and fix this?"

-"You could call Pema. You went to her first of all, and you even said she's a good listener." Korra looked doubtful. "You could always give it a shot. Even if it goes wrong, it's not like you have a lot to lose right now.

Korra thought it over. She did have a good point, it's not like their family could sink much lower at this point. That could only happen if her mother rejected her again, and that seemed very stiff. "That's actually not a bad idea. Thanks Asami."

-"You're welcome."

The rest of the week was relatively uneventful. Be bored at school, gawk at Opal in the gym, force herself to enjoy dinner with just her mother, repeat. Cleaning her room was the equivalent of a hard day of manual labor, but the results were worth it. It was spotless for the first time in years.

And then the long-awaited Saturday evening was finally there.

-"Alright Korra, I'm going to go now. Remember what I said, I don't want to find the living room looking like a dump when I come back."

Her mother was dressed up, and she was about to go pick up Pema.

"You look nice, mom."

Senna smiled at the genuine comment of her daughter. "Thank you. If even you say it, it has to mean something. Right, I'm off. Have fun!"

She quickly left, and Korra made some final preparations.  _Music? Check. Chips? Check. Soda? Check. Comfortable seats for every couple? Check... I think._

The doorbell rang. Opal was the first one to arrive, a bit early.

-"Hi sweetie. Happy birthday." She hadn't even stepped inside or take off her coat, and they were already kissing. When they finally broke away from each other. Korra was grinning like an idiot.

-"What's so funny?"

"Well, every time you came here, we had to do our utmost to hide 'us', and now the first thing we do is make out on the doorstep."

-"Very astute of you, Korra. There wouldn't happen to be a hidden parent somewhere to yell at us in a minute, would there?"

Korra smiled, and stepped aside to let Opal in. "No, my dad still isn't back, and my mom is out to see a play with Pema. We have the house to ourselves for now."

Opal took off her coat, and it was clear to Korra she had done her best on her wardrobe. She was wearing a green dress, not too short, but just long enough to expose the good parts of her legs, which were covered in a white pair of leggings. Coupled with a nickel-plated necklace, she looked stunning.

"You look great. I mean... wow, you look amazing."

Opal giggled and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks. I bought the dress for today. The necklace was an idea of my mom."

"She was right. It goes great with the rest."

They went inside, and Korra poured them both a drink, but before she could take a seat herself, the bell went again. Mako, Asami, Bolin and Ginger had decided to collect before going over, so they were complete in under five minutes. _Benefits of having a small social circle._

They exchanged their congratulations, greetings and well-wishes, Korra was introduced to Ginger, Bolin and Ginger were introduced to Opal, and they all chose a seat. Before giving everyone their drink, she eyed Ginger up. A redhead,  _albeit most definitely red from a bottle_ , long slender legs, a slim figure, and judging by her remarks so far, Mako's comments about her being an dumb as a brick were most certainly accurate. Korra took her seat again, and Mako started grinning.

-"Korra, I brought you an old friend." He reached down to the bag next to him, and pulled out a bottle of vodka with a massive smile on his face.

She raised a silencing finger while she took a sip of her soda, before putting her glass down so that she had both hands free to flip him off properly. "No way. Not what happened after New Year."

She glanced over to Asami, who got something of a blush on her cheeks.

Opal was a bit confused. "New Year? Korra, what haven't you told me?"

The four who were there all started grinning. "We killed a bottle or two in record time, even though I did most of the handiwork," Korra replied, and it was met with approving nods of Mako, Bolin and Asami.

-"You'd be amazed how good she can sing. Karaoke was a brilliant move," Asami recalled.

"I wouldn't get too smug if I were you,  _miss Sato_ ," Korra playfully bit back. "You were just as guilty as I was, we only did duets that night. And your hangover was far worse."

Asami smiled. "That's true. But I took the morning after a lot better."

Korra thought for a while. "Call it even?"

-"Let's."

The rest of the evening continued like this. It was a perfect way for Korra to get her mind off things for a bit. She ultimately did accept a shot of the vodka at Mako's and Opal's insistence, which quickly turned into five. ("Alright, one." - "Well, can't walk with one leg, have another one." - "The bottle isn't even halfway done, start trying!" - "Well, it's nearly empty now, might as well finish it." - "Oh wow, there was more in it than I expected. This time, we can truly finish it.") Korra decided it was past time to stop when Ginger's comments started making sense. A semi-drunk Opal was fun, if a little clingy, but it could be worse.  _She's a lightweight in every sense of the word._

Bolin and Ginger were the first ones to leave, followed swiftly by his brother and said brother's girlfriend. Opal couldn't drive home anymore, so they decided that Opal could stay the night. She helped Korra clean up the worst of the mess, and went to bed. Korra leant her a pair of pajama pants, but there was no way Opal was getting her Age of Empires shirt. _I'll take that thing to my grave with me._

As they lay cuddling on Korra's bed, she couldn't help but feel that same comfort that she felt when she first ran to the Beifong Estate. "Opal?"

-"Hmm?"

"Don't you miss this?"

-"You mean falling asleep while cuddling?"

"Yep."

-"Well, it's certainly nice. But it's also nice not to wake up in the middle of the night with an elbow to the face."

Korra leaned back. "Did I do that?

Opal nodded. "Oops... Sorry." Korra said with a small voice. "Guess I'm just a wild sleeper." It was silent for a bit. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Opal smiled. "Well, it's not like you could help it. Plus, you say a lot of cute things when you sleep. Didn't want to wake you up."

Korra felt her face heat up. Fortunately, it was dark, so Opal couldn't see it. "Save it. I don't want to hear what I said."

"All good things, don't worry," Opal said, and pressed a quick kiss on her lips.

It fell silent. She knew she had been drinking, so her inhibitions would be lower.  _So would Opal's be, and there is a good reason not to try anything._

"Do you ever think about that first evening after I ran away?" Korra asked, very hesitatingly.

Opal winced back a little bit. "You mean when you..." She didn't finish, but Korra knew she got what she was hinting at.

Korra nodded. "Yeah. That one."

She could hear Opal sigh. "I try not to. Not one of my favorite days between us."

"I never thanked you for stopping me. I still feel bad about trying to you like that."

-"You were in a dark place, and not thinking straight. At least you didn't push on when I told you off."

Korra sat up. "I keep wondering what would have happened if you hadn't."

Opal sat next to her, and pulled her close. "Guilt, and regret... They would have come soon enough." She reached around, and turned on the light. "I want to tell you something I have never told anyone." Korra looked into her green eyes, and they were on completely serious. "Korra, I'm not a virgin anymore. I had sex with my last girlfriend, and at the time, I thought it was genuine. Turns out, she just used me to gain leverage over my mother. After I found out, I felt betrayed, and disgusting, and I never want you to go through something like that. It felt awful to know that the first time I had sex was just a part of someone's scheme to climb the social ladder."

She stopped for a minute. Korra hesitated again. "Do you... regret it?"

Opal thought long and hard. "Truth be told, I don't know if that would be what I'd call it. With hindsight, yes, definitely. But would I have done it again with the knowledge I had back then? Yes, I would have. It felt special at the time. But that only lasted until I found out her true intentions." She sighed again. "I want to save you from that same feeling. When you are ready, I will be too. But I don't want you to do something that you would most definitely regret, not five minutes afterwards."

It stayed silent for a long time between them. Korra didn't really know what to say about it. She never thought that Opal had so much cause to stop her. It only served to add to her guilt over that evening. Opal saw her thinking.

-"Korra, I don't blame you for what happened that night. Like I said, you weren't thinking straight, and given the circumstances, you could even call it justifiable."

"Well, I do blame myself. I had never thought about it in the way you just laid out here. I guess I owe you more than I thought."

-"Don't dwell on it. It's in the past, it's done. But nothing happened, no hard feelings between us, and there is nothing to be sorry about anymore, so we might as well let it go."

She thought it over a little more, and realized once again how lucky she was to find such an amazing girlfriend. "Did you really mean what you said about waiting for me to be ready?"

-"Of course I did. I don't want anything to happen we would regret." A playful little smirk crept across her mouth. "Until then, I'm just going to have to make do with old Jill."

Korra yanked her head around in shock. "WHAT?!"

Opal held up the back of her right hand, and drew the letters across it. "J. (Thumb and index.) I. (Middle.) L. (Ring.) L. (Pinky.) Jill!"

Korra poked her in the side of the gut as retaliation. "That's not funny!"

But Opal was laughing so hard that the tears were nearly rolling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, that was just  _way_  too easy."

"Stop it!" She continued tickling Opal, until they were both tired, and really fell asleep this time around.


	20. House of Cards

Korra heard the familiar sound of Tenzin's front door closing. They were late, but it didn't really matter. It was Friday night, Opal was busy, and Mako and Asami already had dating plans. If she wouldn't have been called over by Pema, she would have spent the night grinding away at the last few headshots for the Golden AK-47.  _With my current free time, that is going to happen when pigs fly._

Still, could be worse. She was at least making money, instead of sitting on her ass, costing money. Not that she wasn't just sitting on her ass here, but hey, gotta count your blessings.

Korra was already halfway to the door, when the married couple stopped her.

-"Korra, we would like to talk with you before you leave," Tenzin said, his voice firm as usual.

 _Well shit. This conversation can only have one purpose._  "Let me guess: it's about my father."

-"Yes."

"If he wants to talk to me, he knows where to find me." On the one hand, Korra felt really bad for shooting him down like this.  _He is going through the trouble of trying to repair whatever shrapnel remains of your relationship, and you tell him to fuck off._  On the other, she didn't feel like talking to her father's messenger boy. Even if said messenger boy was one of the best-respected politicians nationwide.

-"If it makes you feel any better, he didn't put me up to this. Even though I don't necessarily approve of your relationship with Opal, I won't sit idly by as your family tears itself to pieces."  _Oops. Congratulations Congressman, you just succeeded in making me feel even shittier._

Korra looked up. "How are you so sure about that?"

Pema joined in, as she subtly coerced them back into the living room. "Your mother. After I took her to the play last week, we stayed to have a drink. She told me that even though her relationship with you has been on the up and up since you came out, her relationship with Tonraq has only decreased."

"I know. Cause and effect and all that. I've been on the receiving end."

-"Korra, we're not treating this as a joke, and neither should you," said Tenzin sternly. "Pema and I have talked things over and decided that we should at least hear your side of things."

This struck her dumb. What were they expecting of her? That she would just poor her heart out, like she had all those months ago with Pema? She would be willing to fix things for her mother's sake, but wasn't driven to do so in any form, sort or way. "Look, my father doesn't want me around, and I'm kind of fine with that. What I don't like is that he's taking my mother down with him in his crusade to burn me."

Both of them were surprised. "You don't care about him?" Pema asked, more shocked than Korra would have expected.

"No, I don't. He made his point quite eloquently, so to speak. He gave me a choice: Opal or him. And do you blame me for choosing someone who genuinely cares about me and goes out of her way to make my life more enjoyable over someone who seems to have made it his life goal to make it as miserable as possible?"

This kind of silenced them. Tenzin was the quickest in organizing his thoughts. "That's not the Tonraq I know."

Korra interrupted him. "I've had that discussion before with Pema." She looked over to her, and saw her blushing. "It doesn't matter what you think he is like, my mother and I are always at the receiving end of his frustrations at the Capitol. We have put up with it, but this is in a different category. He doesn't agree with me in particular, and he needs someone to vent his frustration at, and we are both out of the question. He's kind of stuck for escapes."

It was silent for a while. Korra's company thought over what she had just said.

-"Are you saying that he refuses to talk to you because he is frustrated?" Tenzin asked.

"Yes. My mother told me how he came to be, something he keeps a careful secret. It's why he is so adamant to work me out of the house, and all the more reason for him to stay away from me. He knows that this is already gnawing away at his patience and he wants to protect us from himself."

-"He wouldn't hit you," Pema said resolutely. "He would never forgive himself."

Korra couldn't help but see the irony of the situation. "Yeah, but he would also take me coming out like a champ, and yet here we are." Pema and Tenzin both winced at the realization that she was right. "Did you have anything particular in mind, or was this just to gauge my own opinion?"

-"Do you want us to help you or not?" Tenzin didn't seem too pleased with Korra's callous responses.

"Look, the only way you can get us to talk about it is to force us the same room and lock the door from the outside."

-"If that's what it takes, I can make that happen." Korra looked up in surprise, but Tenzin appeared to be completely serious.  _Of course he is. When have you ever seen him_ not _serious?_

"Tenzin, I was joking. how would you even make that happen?"

-"Simple: I invite him over to my office, where you wait for him, and I force him to sit down and hear you out."

 _Son of a bitch, that might actually work._  "That... sounds pretty good, actually." Korra thought for a while. "How soon could you arrange something like that?"

-"Depends on the schedules, but definitely within the week."

"Sounds like a plan." They quickly worked out the rest of the details: Tenzin would call her once he has a time and a date, and Korra would show up a little beforehand to get the upper hand over him.  _What could possibly go wrong?_

Once home, Korra informed her mother of the plane they had worked out. She thought it to be a good opportunity, but they agreed that it would be best if Korra and he were to talk alone.

Tenzin called the next day, something which didn't really surprise Korra. Monday, after school direct to the Capitol. _Makes it almost seem like detention, or maybe community service. But hey, don't do the crime if you can't take the time._

She waited for the whip as agreed, and he walked them to his office. It was very spacious, classically decorated, but not tastelessly so. Korra sat down on a chair so that she wasn't visible from the door, and Tenzin took his seat at his desk. Roughly ten minutes passed before her father finally showed up.

-"Ah, Tonraq, you made it," Tenzin opened as he stood up.

-"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

-"I lied to you a little. You're not here to talk to me." He gestured him to turn around to face Korra. She saw his eyes narrow.

-"So now you even use Tenzin to get to me. I hadn't expected you to sink so low." His voice was still filled with disdain and resentment.

-"I proposed this," Tenzin interrupted him. "Senna is breaking down over this. She is going to implode if nothing is done about it, so I decided to step up. Korra and I agreed to this. My guard outside has orders to keep you in here at all costs, and he's not going let you leave until Korra or I say so, so you will sit down and hear her out."

Her father took a deep breath, but sat down in the chair across from Korra, as far away from her as he could.

Tenzin eyed them up, and nodded as he saw the risk of Tonraq bolting from the room first chance he got was nullified. "I'll let you two talk." He walked out, leaving a big silence in his wake.

-"You wanted to talk to me, so talk," her father opened, not making any attempt to hide his displeasure about being forced to listen to her.

"I'm not here for me. I don't like you, and you don't like me, so that makes it easy for the both of us. But right now, mom is caught in the crossfire between us, and that is something I don't want." Korra paused for a moment to gauge his reaction. It seemed to lighten him up a little bit, so she continued. "I'm not asking for your permission, your approval, or your acceptance. You don't have to love me, you don't even have to like me, as long as you tolerate me for mom's sake."

-"So you're asking me to go back home, and force myself to neglect that you are...?" He hesitated, but didn't finish his sentence.

"Basically, yes."

-"That's not easy for me."

 _Well, so far so good._  "I know. But do you think this is easy for either of us? I'm forced to watch as this one detail about my life rips us all to pieces. Mom is starting to crumble, I don't know how you are handling it, but judging by what Tenzin has told me, not too well. You two have been together for over 25 years, and this is what kills it? I refuse to just  _accept_ that."

-"Korra, I never made a secret about it, I don't like what you have become. I'm pretty sure I can't turn on a dime just because you found out."

The fact that her father refused to say out loud that she was gay wasn't very hopeful. On the other hand, they were finally having a conversation about this like rational adults. "Look, dad, I'm not asking you to suddenly wave the rainbow flag in the Congress. I'm just asking you to be professional and diligent about it, so that we stop playing tug-of-war with mom's sanity as the prize."

He fell silent for a bit, thinking over what Korra said. "How would we go about it?"

 _Hook, line, and sinker._  "I would propose a deal: I will keep my relationship out of our house and particularly your presence as much as possible, and in turn, you will ignore it whenever it does come up."

He was clearly contemplating the issue, but he didn't seem very comfortable with it, so Korra decided to try something more. "It's only for a year or so. Then I'm off to college, and we never have to see or speak to each other again."

-"That's not what I want, Korra."

She sighed. "Neither do I, but this is the hand we've been dealt. This is the first time in a month that we have a real conversation, and even though I hate to admit it, that month has been surprisingly easy."

He looked off to the side, and gently nodded. "I suppose." Another silence. "Alright. I have to make some last arrangements, but that means I could come back tomorrow. How does that sound?"

Korra smiled. "Sounds great." Neither of them really knew what to do next. How do you part ways when you have agreed to the fact that you don't like each other? Especially considering that they just agreed to move back into the same house together?

-"I guess this is it. If you'll excuse me, I have some other matters to attend to. See you tomorrow, kid."

"See you tomorrow."


	21. Ready, Fire, Aim

It was not perfect. Far from, to be brutally honest. A week and a half in, Korra rarely saw her father, typically only at dinner. And not even every night. He would avoid her, eating dinner at the Capitol. Even if he did eat at home, they wouldn't talk any more than absolutely necessary. But their family was whole again. Sort of. Talking him into coming back had earned Korra her mother's deep gratitude. Her parents had long talks with each other, in which he would actually stay calm, as Korra didn't find out from hearing him shout, but instead because her mother told her afterwards.

Korra was on a glorious killstreak when her phone buzzed. She had put it on the very edge of her desk, and it vibrated itself onto the floor, causing her to lose focus and immediately pay for it: she tried to stop an incoming shotgun blast with the bridge of her nose. Silently berating herself, she logged out and picked up her phone, which thankfully hadn't broken.  _Well whoop-tee-ta. It's the small things that make Fridays better than Mondays._

It was a text from Opal.  _"How are things with your dad? Has he come around yet?"_

Korra smiled at her naiveté.  _"Take a wild guess."_

- _"I'll take that as a no."_

_"Correct."_

- _"Anyway, see you tomorrow at the gym?"_

_"Of course. You do realize you just cost me a magnificent killstreak?"_

- _"The things we must sacrifice for love, sweetie. <3"_

_":D"_

After that, Opal didn't text back, so Korra could get back to her game of Call of Duty.  _Domination. Crash. Marines. Barrett .50cal. Run to good spot on the third floor, tall building on the right corner. Watch teammates capture first flag. Be unsurprised as enemy team captures third flag. Laugh as you see one attempt to capture the middle flag. Put one round through his temple. Toss grenade at far alley without cooking. Earn three kills._  Korra smiled at the stupidity of her opponents.  _Call in UAV. Spot enemy making his way up the stairs. Hide near door. Draw Desert Eagle. Put three rounds in his chest. Call in airstrike on second flag. Kill three more, since your own team is just as incapable as the enemy team is. Call in helicopter. Kill another one with Desert Eagle who was trying to make his way up the stairs. Pull out sniper, earn three easy kills as they make another pathetic attempt at capturing the second flag._

The match went on like this for quite some time. Korra was on top of her game, making easy kills, ultimately switching to the M4 Carbine to show them up close and personal who the boss was. It worked wonders, winning a landslide victory.

She decided not to go to bed too late, since Opal liked to be at the gym nice and early. For Korra, it meant she had traded getting up at the asscrack of dawn to go to tennis for getting up at the asscrack of dawn to go to the gym.  _With the minor exception that the view is infinitely better, and there is none of the guilt you felt while ogling Asami._

That wasn't even entirely fair, since Opal pulled 25 laps of their pool before she went anywhere. So she had to get up _even earlier_  than Korra to make it to the gym in time. Korra admired her discipline, as she knew she might be able to keep it up for maybe three days before saying "Fuck it, I like my sleep more than I like laps in the pool."  _Scratch that. You wouldn't even bother trying it because you're the laziest motherfucker on the face of the earth._

Traffic was easy. A nice, gentle drive to the gym without having to resort to swearing at her fellow drivers too much. It was busy, so she had to park halfway down the lot. Toza greeted with his usual grump, and Opal had already started her stretches.  _And make sure to keep your mouth shut this time around. She has yet to let you live the time down you literally started drooling, make that twice and you will have to hear it 'til the day you die._

All things considered though, Korra did owe Opal quite a lot, and not just in helping her through the whole mess with her parents. She was fitter than ever before. She had worked on this for months, but her body was becoming more and more like Opal's: chiseled and sculpted.  _It was bitter work. But the results... were worth it._  Korra smiled as she joined her girlfriend.

It turned out she had a knack for raw strength, as she had quickly surpassed Opal in the weights, while Opal could still out-row her on the ergometer. They were pretty evenly matched on the treadmill, a device which Korra never really understood the purpose of.  _You run like your hair is on fire for 30 minutes and when you're done, you haven't moved an inch._

All was well until Korra saw a familiar face. She put an end to her exercise, and walked out to greet her. "Kuvira! Long time no see. No practice this morning?"

Kuvira looked around the source of this, and was surprised to see her former trainee. "Korra? This is a surprise. You decided to ditch me for the gym?"

"Well... Kind of. It was for the best, trust me."

She slightly blushed as Kuvira eyed her up with an appreciative lower lip. "I can see that."

"What brings you here? Someone finally decided that practice at nine in the morning does nobody any good?"

-"Sato pulled her weight. She preferred practice later, so they moved a few slots around. But the way I recall it, you were never a morning person. And judging by the way you smell, you have been at it for over half an hour and it's 9:30."

Korra blushed again. "Well, that's my girlfriend. I owe her quite a lot already, and getting up a bit earlier to exercise with her is a small sacrifice to make."

-"Girlfriend? Does your sudden departure have anything to do with Sato's arrival?"

 _God damn it, she sees right through me._  "Well, kind of. But then I met Opal, and it all worked out." Korra couldn't help but notice that Kuvira slightly winced when she mentioned Opal. It puzzled Korra, until she realized what it was. "Did you and Opal...?"

-"This conversation never happened, and you didn't see me here. Deal?"

Korra's eyes narrowed, as it was pretty much a confirmation of what she thought. "We're done here." She turned around on her heel, briskly walking back to Opal. "Your ex is  _Kuvira_?!"

Opal nearly fell off the treadmill she was running on, and Korra barely caught her before she made a very inelegant tumble. "What...? How do you...?"

"Christ, Opal, she's 24!"

-"Can we not do this here, and can you keep your voice down?! Not the whole city needs to know!" She dragged Korra into a back room. It was some sort of maintenance room, currently empty. Now a lot calmer, Opal started again. "How do you know her?"

"She used to be my tennis coach. But Opal,  _she_  was the one you had sex with?"

Opal nodded. "She worked for my mom, and she was brilliant. A near genius-level intellect, and she made a lightning career, but it wasn't enough for her. She can be very persuasive, so despite the age gap, I did think it was something real."

"Fuck, Opal, I am going to teach her a lesson." Korra balled her fists and started pacing to the door, but Opal stopped her.

-"Korra, don't. We got her through and through, she's doing her time for what she did."

Korra wasn't convinced. "How?"

Opal gently let her go, while Korra was no less on edge. "My mom knew about our relationship. I didn't tell her that we had sex, though. When we found out what she was working on, my mom did everything in her power to ruin Kuvira's life. She immediately fired her, and destroyed her career and reputation. That's how someone so smart ended up a tennis coach. I warned her that if she would ever come near me again, I would press charges of having sex with a minor, which I was at the time. Kuvira kept quiet since, otherwise she would face a year in prison, plus a record. Trust me, Korra. She has paid enough."

Korra sighed, and unclenched her fists. She didn't realize her nails had nearly broken through the skin of her hands. "And yet you just let her go?"

She shrugged it off. "You can't hold grudges forever. It's been a year, and like I said, she is still paying. I think she learned her lesson."

"Fine," Korra resolutely stated. Her hands still itched, but she dropped it anyway. Opal was right, because if Suyin had been as thorough as she claimed, she had set Kuvira back at least ten years to have another shot at a career.

She didn't feel like the treadmill anymore. Instead, she directed her frustrations at a punching bag. It served its purpose of getting some out, but Korra hadn't fully calmed down yet when they decided to call it quits. Opal noticed as they walked to the exit.

-"Korra, I appreciate your protectiveness, but you really need to let this go. Like I said, it happened, I can't make it unhappen, so now I have to deal with it." She hesitated for a moment. "It was my choice as well."

Korra took a few deep breaths. "Alright. But don't you  _ever_  take the blame for someone using you. That's how it happens again."

A smile crept across Opal's face. "It's nice to know that you care so much."

"Of course I care. I would be a pretty lousy girlfriend if I didn't."

Opal wrapped her arms around Korra's neck a pressed a quick kiss on her lips. "That's true. Listen, I have to go. My mom called me in for work, and there is no way I can get around it. How about, tonight, we go to that new place on Connecticut? Heard some good things about it. My treat."

Korra smiled too. "Alright, you're on." Two or three quick kisses later, they each went their separate ways again. Back home, her mother was looking through magazines for dinner ideas.

-"Hey Korra. How was the gym?"

"It was fine," she lied through her teeth.

-"I can tell you're lying. What was it?"

Korra groaned. "Long story short: I ran into Opal's ex, and she turned out to be a bitch."

Her mother rolled her eyes. " _Language_. Now, what do you want for dinner tonight: pizza or Thai?"

"I'm actually not eating at home. Opal wants to take me to a new place downtown."

 _There's that wince again._  Senna did her best to hide it, but she just couldn't help it. "Well, I guess that's settled then. Better tonight than tomorrow, Tenzin and Pema are coming to dinner."

Korra waited a while, cautiously eying her mother up. "Mom, are you all right?"

Senna sighed. "To tell you the truth, no, I'm not. I'm still not comfortable with the idea of you falling for girls. I'm constantly trying to convince myself that it isn't a big deal, but it won't stick."

"Well, it is kind of a big deal. So if anything, I think you are handling it quite admirably. Better than dad, anyway."

This got her smiling. "Well, he is keeping his distance like you two agreed. We talked about things and he conceded with me that this was better for the all of us, regardless of our personal feelings about this subject."

"I know I haven't really said it, but I do really appreciate what you are doing now. It's so much easier now that I don't have to live with the fear of ripping our lives apart when you find out."

-"No, I'm just glad we could repair most of the damage before it became permanent." She paused for a moment. "For as far as that can still be avoided."

Korra smiled at the statement. The rift of her coming out of the closet had been substantial, but not insurmountable. Senna had definitely proven herself to be a good mother when it came down to it. "I guess so. Now, I'm going to change into something more suitable for Saturday afternoon."

Her mother rolled her eyes again. "You do know it's not a good sign that you own more pairs of sweatpants than jeans?"

"Perhaps."

-"Before you go, I was wondering: would you help me tomorrow with dinner?"

Korra was a bit surprised. "Help you? What do you mean?"

-"I've chosen something that has to bake in the oven for five hours or so, but the preparations ask for quite a lot of slicing and dicing. I would love it if you would help me with that."

Korra decided she kind of owed her that.  _Even if that same thought is going through her head as well._  "Alright. I don't see why not."

Senna smiled. "Thank you. Now go do your thing."

 _Onwards to my beloved sweatpants._  Korra spent the rest of the day doing her homework and running drugs on heavy motorcycles in The Lost and Damned, until Opal reminded her to get ready. For once, Opal would swing by to pick her up. Around six, Korra saw the BMW i3 that she shared with her the Wonder Twins appear on her driveway. It was the new model, one that Korra always liked.  _Say what you want, the Beifongs got style._

She ran downstairs, deciding it was warm enough to use her hoodie as a jacket. "Bye mom, I'm going!" she yelled back, as she slammed the door shut behind her.

The new place was a mix of modern and Eastern. It was kind of disgusting how it hell-bent it was on being 'trendy'. One of those restaurants that leapt straight out of a dozen interior design magazines. They were seated quickly,  _not a good sign_ , but Korra saved herself just in time from saying that.

Much to her surprise, the food was fine. Not the three fried beans with half a pea that she was expecting, but decent portions, and it was all very well prepared. Having some quiet time with Opal was nice. They didn't do this very often. Not that they didn't spend time together, plenty actually, but just sit down and have dinner together, that rarely happened.

"This is nice. Why don't we do this more often?"

-"I'm very busy, and you're stuck with conservative parents?"

"Sounds about right. But you owe the person whoever tipped you off a thank you. This place is nice."

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Opal smirked. "If dessert isn't good, I'm not coming back. Desserts are sacred."

Korra smiled. She knew about Opal's love of desserts. It's safe to say the Beifong had somewhat of a sweet tooth. They soon came. A crème brulée for Korra, and lemon-cheese cake for Opal. Of course, it could have gone as smoothly as the rest of the dinner, but Korra had to screw it up by dropping a (delicious) piece of her dessert onto herself. Of course it missed the napkin, meaning it landed equally divided over the exposed two square inches of her pants.

"Fuck," she hissed through her teeth, and saw that Opal was about to burst out into a massive fit of giggles. "Don't you  _dare_ ," Korra warned her.

-"You're making it really hard right now."

Korra shot her an evil look before trying to wipe up what had fallen down. One piece was an easy fix, and she propped it up on her finger, the other landed in a more wrinkled bit, requiring a more thorough cleaning job.

While she busied herself with that one, Opal grabbed her other hand, which still had the piece of crème brulée on it. "Here, let me try that," she said, and promptly put Korra's finger in her mouth, licking it clean.

 _Jesus, Mary and Joseph. How for heaven's sake is it possible that she can drive me insane with **one**  fucking lick of her tongue?_  Korra let out a very undignified squeak, as her heart skipped about a dozen beats. It only served to make Opal giggle even more adorable.

-"You know you're just as red as that tablecloth?"

 _No, I didn't know that, but did you really expect me to?_   "I... ehhh..." stammered Korra, but she couldn't think of anything to say, given that her mind was still short-circuiting over what her girlfriend just did.

-"That's okay, you take your time. Shall I go ask for the bill or do you want a cup of tea to wash it all down with?"

"Ehhh... no thanks, I'm good," Korra finally managed. Suddenly, the fog lifted. She wanted her. More than anything in the world. More than she had ever wanted anything. "Can we go back to your place?" she asked, while raising a mischievous eyebrow.

Opal was a touch puzzled, but soon got what she was suggesting. "Korra, I thought we agreed not to go down this 'ready, fire, aim'-road."

"I know, but I have given it a lot of thought since we talked. I want this. I have never been so sure of anything." A sneaky smile crept across her face. "I want you," she added with a whisper.

Opal went cherry red, and was a bit stunned, but regained herself after a bit. She pulled the car keys out of her chest pocket and slid them across the table to Korra. "You get the car, I get the bill."


	22. Well and Truly

Korra shot her mother a text when Opal hadn't yet come out of the restaurant:  _"Staying at Opal's tonight. Back before noon."_  She didn't care about a reply, there was something else at the forefront of her mind right now.

They nearly broke down the double doors of the Beifong Estate, they were so excited. Suyin was putting on her coat with Baatar Sr., who definitely weren't expecting the girls to be this exuberant.

-"Hi mom, dinner was great, have fun tonight!" Opal nearly yelled, while she and Korra raced up the stairs, leaving her parents startled.

They slammed the door of Opal's room shut, and paused for a moment to give themselves the moment to catch their breath. A slanted grin ran across Korra's mouth, and they both kicked off their shoes before Korra fell back into Opal's embrace, eagerly capturing her lips with her own again.

There was an excitement in the kisses that Korra hadn't felt before from Opal. She was nervous, just not as nervous as Korra herself. That was just one of the several dozen feelings running up and down her body, the most prominent one being the undeniable hunger she had for Opal.

Opal discarded her loose green flannel before pulling Korra close to herself again. Her tongue darted past Korra's lips again, and Korra savored every taste it brought in.

She pushed them back to the bed, but when they were nearly there, Opal turned them around, and pushed Korra on her back. The green-eyed girl climbed on top of Korra, grinding their hips together. This simple move sent a bolt of electricity through Korra, and she closed her eyes for a moment in sheer delight. It made Korra's already rapid-beating heart skip one or two, before speeding up even more.

When she opened them again, the sight in front of her seemed to be out of a dream. Opal was sitting on top of her, with a grin that would make even the most bitter man smile. Her emerald eyes were twinkling, and her slim, goddess-like body was accentuated by her tight gray shirt.  _The gloves are off. Literally, she already threw them away._  To complete the picture, her legs were on either side of Korra's, and she started leaning down to kiss her again.

The pivoting movement ground their hips together again, and it got the first gentle moan out of Korra. Opal gently cupped her cheeks, and a crooked grin appeared. "If you already start, I'd love to know what you'd be like when I start trying."

Korra just smiled and pulled her close again until their lips met once more. She rolled them over, but Opal made them roll straight on, and sat back up again. She gently pulled the zipper of Korra's hoodie down, but Korra couldn't help a nervous shiver.

Opal noticed, and immediately stopped. "Korra... If you're not ready, just say it. I won't judge you."

Korra took a deep breath. "No. I want this. I'm just... just nervous, I guess."

Slightly more on edge, Opal zipped down Korra's hoodie completely, pulled it free, and tossed it over her shoulder. Korra smiled again, and Opal leaned back down, but this time didn't kiss Korra on the lips. She instead worked her way up to Korra's ear, eliciting another moan from Korra. Feeling Opal's lips and teeth work her ear made Korra's panties soaking wet.  _Holy shit, this stuff should be illegal. Nobody could endure this for long._

She let her own hand slide under Opal's shirt, be it very cautious. She felt the supple feeling of the muscles move beneath the skin. Opal pulled back, and smiled. She sat up again, and pulled the tight shirt over her head in one smooth move, discarding it without any reservations. This left her in a simple grey bra, but Korra was more focused on her perfectly toned stomach.  _Those abs, **GOD** , those abs..._ Maybe the better word would be 'distracted'.

-"How's the view from down there?" Korra heard Opal ask, and she saw the twinkle the emerald eyes.

A smirk crept across Korra's face. "You have no idea." She pulled Opal back down, kissing her again. Opal returned it, but quickly made her way down Korra's neck. She gave her a hickey that would probably be visible for days to come, but Korra didn't care. It just felt  _so good_. Korra felt a gentle tug at the hem of her shirt, and Opal broke away from kissing her neck, hovering a few inches from Korra's face, asking for permission with her eyes. Korra gave her a single nod, and Opal pulled the shirt up, while Korra put her arms up to give room for it to be discarded completely.

It felt strange. Even though she was technically still dressed, the intimacy made Korra feel exposed, even if there wasn't anyone on earth she felt more comfortable with.

But Opal put her at ease, who had picked up on her nerves. "You're beautiful, Korra. In every sense of the word." It gave Korra a confidence boost, and this time she took the initiative to kiss Opal on the neck. A sudden gasp escaped from the Beifong as she didn't expect such vigor from her girlfriend. Korra used her raw strength to pin Opal's arms over her head, allowing Korra the freedom to make Opal squeal as she gently bit into the skin of her neck.  _There's one to keep in mind._

Opal worked her arms free and gently cupped Korra's breast, making her gasp. She had only ever felt that from herself, and feeling someone else do it felt...  _great_. There was an organic feel to the way Opal, quite literally, worked her up.  _She has done this before. And it is once again to your advantage._

Korra's hands trembled as she reached around to her back, and unclasped her bra. Opal looked surprised, but Korra saw such trust in those green eyes that she didn't regret it for even a moment. In one move, she was on her back, and her bra was flying through the air.

Opal looked down, smiling as Korra put herself into such a vulnerable position with her. "Perfect," was the only thing she said, before pressing a quick kiss on Korra's lips and started working her way down her neck to her chest, leaving a trail of kisses and red marks in her wake. She took on nipple between her fingers, and moved her mouth to the other one.

"Oh God..." Korra panted breathlessly as a bolt of electricity shot through her entire body, and another surge of heat came from between her legs. She pushed her hips into Opal's, desperate for release, but four layers of clothing between the two of them made it surprisingly difficult. Not that it mattered to Opal, she was too busy equally dividing her attention between Korra's nipples to notice anyway. Korra was breathing heavily as Opal sucked the now rock-hard nubs.

"Opal..." She looked up at this, smiling at the results of her work so far. She went back to press another kiss on Korra's lips before sitting upright to take off her own bra.

Opal's breasts were freakin' adorable. Petite, but Korra could see that much through her clothes. What really drew her attention was a tattoo under her left breast. It were five marks, one of which being the logo of Beifong Metal Works, and the rest were Chinese characters. Korra caught her breath long enough to say something clever. "Hmm, definitely not as innocent as I thought..."

Opal smiled and leaned down again. " _You_  have no idea," she whispered, and licked Korra's ear, earning her another gasp. Korra rolled her over, and started kneading her breasts. They kissed again, before Korra made her way down to Opal's chest. She was very gentle as she first licked Opal's nipple. Opal let her fingers run through Korra's hair, spurring Korra on.

Korra didn't know how far she could, or should take it. She was still feeling pretty guilty about what happened the night she tried to force herself on Opal. She picked up on this. "You're very timid, what's wrong?"

"Just nervous. I got no clue what I'm doing here."

Opal smiled. "That makes two of us." Her smile turned into a devious smirk, while her emerald eyes twinkled. "You know what else you are?"

"What's that?"

-"Overdressed." Opal whispered, before throwing Korra on her back, and planting a trail of kisses down her belly. She undid the button of her jeans, and pulled them down hard. Korra helped her by trying to kick them off, ended up nearly kneeing Opal in the face, but it worked.

Korra gasped again as she felt Opal press her hand against her sopping wet panties. Opal discarded them like they were nothing, leaving Korra completely nude. Her face was only inches away from Korra's core, and she pressed a series of kisses along her inner thighs, progressively getting closer to her target. Korra felt the heat racing with every inch that her girlfriend got closer.

As Opal first licked Korra's clit, a massive bolt of electricity shot through her entire body. Korra buckled her hips, and it was a sign for Opal to go all-out. "Ahhh, Opal!" she called out, urging her to continue. Korra let her fingers trail through Opal's short hair, and was moving her hips with the rhythm of Opal eating her out. She could feel the pressure build up inside her, panting heavily as Opal brought her incrementally closer to her climax.

"Please... Opal... so... close..." Korra panted, but Opal wasn't done just yet. She let her hands glide down Korra's sides, until they were at her core, and gently started stroking her soaking wet folds. The feeling was familiar, but it was other worldly at the same time. Opal broke away, looking up to her again. "Do it," Korra said breathlessly, never wanting her to stop.

Opal took the hint, and pushed her middle finger into Korra. She felt herself clench up around it, and it was clear that Opal had been lying about not knowing what she is doing. With ruthless efficiency she found Korra's most sensitive spot, earning her another loud moan. Opal leaned down again, and let her tongue run circles around Korra's clit again, pushing her to her breaking point.

She arched her back, pushing hard against Opal's mouth as Korra drew closer and closer. " _Fuck_! OPAAAAAL!" Korra screamed as she reached her climax. But Opal kept on working her, as she was set on stretching out Korra's orgasm. She succeeded with flying colors. Wave after wave of sheer, unadulterated pleasure shot through Korra, who fell onto her back again, breathing heavily as Opal crawled her way back up.

"Holy... shit..." were the first words Korra managed. Well, panted. Opal giggled as she pressed a kiss on Korra's nose. "I take it I did good?"

"'Did good'? Christ, I've never felt anything like that!" Korra said, still slightly out of breath. Opal demonstratively moved away from Korra a bit, and licked her finger clean. "Hmm, definitely better than dessert..." she said, winking at Korra.

Korra smiled, and grabbed Opal by her knees, throwing her on her back. "Then I want mine..." she smirked, as she undid the button of Opal's pants. Yanking them down went a lot better than with Korra's, but she decided to tease Opal a little bit more.

"You know, there is something I have been wanting to do since I first saw you in the gym," Korra said, raising that same mischievous eyebrow.

Opal decided to play along. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"  _Famous last words._

"This," and Korra leaned down to let her tongue run down Opal's toned stomach. It got her shivering so deliciously that Korra started grinning like an idiot. But she didn't regret it for a moment, as she saw a trail of goose bumps over the sculpted belly (The shape of which could be felt exceedingly well with her tongue).

Korra slowly moved down, gingerly removing Opal's soaking panties. She didn't know what to expect from Opal. Deciding that it would be best to start slow, Korra started rubbing Opal's soft folds, getting a throaty moan from her.  _Oh Lord, that's a sound I could get used to._  She started rubbing more vigorously, and Opal started moving with Korra's hands. She was breathing louder but increasingly shallow. Korra smiled as she knew she was on the right track.

"Ahhh... Korra..." Opal gasped, as Korra let her thumb run circles around Opal's clit. She pulled her hand back, and gave Opal one last smile before diving in.

Korra had no idea what she was doing. She only had her gut instincts, and what her she thought Opal had been doing. _Kind of. You were a little preoccupied, so to speak._  Nevertheless, judging by the way Opal was gasping and moaning, it seemed to be working. She brought up her hand, just like Opal had done, and slid her index finger into Opal.

-"GOD! Korra!" Opal yelled. Korra immediately stopped, terrified of hurting Opal. She looked up with a worried frown, but Opal's smile and twinkling eyes soon put an end to that. "Why... are... you... stopping? I'm... close..." she panted.

Korra resumed whatever it was she had been doing before. She slid her finger back into Opal, and felt her clenching around it. The slick warmth was everything she remembered from herself, yet it was totally alien at the same time.

-"Oh fuck..." Opal panted as Korra licked her clit again. She let her tongue run circles around it, while Opal ruffled up her hair, pushing her hips up and down in the rhythm that Korra dictated.

-"Korra... I'm... going... toaaaAAAAA! KORRAAA!" Opal came hard, and came far. She buckled up, and rolled over, punching Korra on the nose with the rim of her pelvis.

"OW! Son of a bitch," Korra swore, but Opal was a little too busy to hear it. She rode it out, and it took her some time to come back around. When she did, they repositioned themselves so that they were the right way around again in the bed, and relative to each other. They were both panting, exhausted, sweaty, and utterly satisfied.

-"You may just as well have found your calling, Korra. For a first time, that was great. You're a natural."

Korra smiled. "I had a great first lesson."

-"I noticed."

"You also noticed you punched me in the nose?"

-"Did I now?" Opal pressed a gentle kiss on it. "There. Better?"

"Much." Korra smiled. "You know, I'm curious. What does your tattoo mean?"

-"Family tradition, from the days sailing around the world was a dangerous business." She shamelessly pulled the sheet down, revealing it again. Now that Korra was a little more focused, she could actually get a good look at it. Next to the logo of Beifong Metal Works was the actual text, Korra guessed. '金屬戰隊' was what it actually read.  _Of course, you know fuck-all about Chinese, so this does you no good what so ever._  "But what does it mean?"

-"It says 'The Metal Clan' in traditional Chinese. We've done it for generations, starting back when my family still lived in China, before they fled for the Opium Wars. It just kind of stuck. Everyone who is born a Beifong gets one for their sixteenth birthday."

"Right there?"

-"No, but I wanted it there. Close to my heart. You should have seen my family when I made up my mind as to where I wanted to put it. My dad flipped his shit, and Junior even went as far as going with me. He and my mom made it  _very_ clear through body language that if that parlor was to try anything unethical, he would be leaving in a wheelchair. Felt kind of bad for him, but he got the message. He was very professional."

Korra chuckled. "A man tattooed from head to toe was intimidated by a little 5'4" woman?"

-"She has a black belt in Hung Gar. Believe it or not, she can kick almost anyone's ass."

Korra was about to make another witty retort when Opal's phone buzzed somewhere in the room. It turned out to be on her nightstand, which happened to be within an arm's reach. Her eyes grew large as she read it. "We're fucked."

"Well and truly," Korra smirked contently.

Opal rolled her eyes as she rolled over, before shoving her phone in Korra's face. The caller ID read: Wei. The text read: _"Could you two keep it down next time?"_

-"I thought we were alone here, and unfortunately, I have to murder them now."

"Do you want help digging graves, or do you want to dump them in the Potomac?"

Opal rolled back on top of Korra. "The Potomac will do just fine," she said smirking, as she gave Korra a quick kiss. She just wrapped Opal in her arms again, and they slowly fell into a deep sleep.


	23. Rude Awakening

Their awakening was rude, to say the least. Su was rapidly knocking on the door, determined to wake the girls up. "Opal! Korra! Breakfast is up right now. You know how I feel about that, you will join us."

In the bed, Korra stirred. Opal was half sprawled over her, both still naked as the day they were born. "Why does your mom have to wake us up so early in the morning? The morning... is...  _evil_."

-"It's not early, it's past ten if she is waking me up," Opal replied groggily. "Family breakfast is our version of going to church on Sunday morning: sacred and mandatory." She gave Korra a quick kiss on the chin, since that was the part she could reach without having to make too big of an effort. Another volley of knocks on the door made Opal groan, and she lifted her head to call out to the outside. "Yeah Mom, we're coming. Give us a minute, okay?"

-"If you're not down in five minutes, I will wake you up with a bucket of cold water, you understand?"

-"Yeah, we get it. Five minutes." Opal's massive emerald eyes were the first things Korra saw when she opened her eyes.  _That's a sight I could get used to._  It brought a smile to her face. "Alright, let's find the right person the right clothes," Korra suggested and they started their search. It was easier said than done, and Opal being adamant to wear Korra's hoodie didn't help either. Korra had to go commando, given that her panties were not suitable to wear anymore. Eventually though, most clothes ended up on their respective owners, and they were on their way. Korra's smile only grew as she recalled more and more moments from the night before, in all their glory.

They silently took their usual seats at the end of the group, both of them sunken more into their own little world than the actual turn of events at the breakfast table. The Beifongs didn't really pay much attention to the absentmindedness of the girls, until Opal was staring into the distance rather obsessively, and the twins started giggling to themselves.

Baatar Jr. was the first one to say anything to them. "Opal?"

_Don't say it. Don't you **fucking**  say it._

-"What's eating you?"

_**GOD. FUCKING. DAMN IT.** _

-"Korra, last night!" was Tweedledee's immediate reaction. Tweedledum obviously saw the pun coming. "OOOOOOH," he yelled, and gave his brother a resounding high five.

Opal's face went bright red, and Korra buried her face in her hands.  _Dear Lord in heaven, I know I am a sinner, but could you please send a lightning bolt to kill me where I sit?_

Su slammed her knife and fork onto the table. " _Boys!_ I will not have that kind of talk at  _my_  table!"

-"What? It's true. Those walls are paper-thin, we could give you an accurate description which one got off first."

_Someone please jab a fork into the side of my neck until I stop twitching._

Su clearly wasn't pleased by her son's reaction. "Opal and Korra are in an adult relationship, and sex is a perfectly normal part of that. I will hear no more about this."

She resolutely picked up her teacup, and gave each of her youngest sons a piercing stare. This got rid of the easy puns, but the tension remained, particularly between Korra and the male company older than her.

All of them were eager to leave the *ahem* tense surroundings of the table, and they scurried away like bugs from under a lifted rock the second everyone was done. Korra ended up taking some dishes to the sink, while Opal cleaned off the table.

She thought she was alone in the kitchen, when Su snuck up on her. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, you know."

Korra jumped up, startled by the older Beifong. "Christ, Su, you scared me. What do you mean?"

-"Oh come on, Korra. Don't try to make me believe you think I'm that naive. It was pretty obvious, even before the twins had said anything. I figured it out when you bolted past us last night." Korra's face flushed again, and she made for the door. Su's pragmatic voice stopped her before she got through, though. "Are you going home soon?"

Korra hesitatingly turned around. "Yes... Why?"

A devious little grin crept across her face, and Korra felt her spirits drop.  _Opal does precisely the same thing before she embarrasses me._  "You might want to ask Opal if you can borrow a scarf. I can see that hickey on your neck from here."

Korra could feel a massive surge of heat race through her cheeks, and even her ears went bright red. In a reflexive dash, she slammed her hands in her neck. "Thanks," she murmured, and practically ran to the safety of Opal's room, where her girlfriend already was. Korra quickly shut the door on her way, and leaned against it, before it fell silent for a while.

-"Well, that wasn't awkward at all," Opal eventually said.

"Nope, not a chance." Korra smiled. "Still, your mom is pretty cool with it. She even advised me to borrow a scarf from you before I go home."

Opal was a bit puzzled at first, but then Korra pointed at the red marks on her neck. "Ah... Yes... well, I'll fix you something. Do you want to shower first?"

"Yeah, that would be nice. Could you pass me a towel?"

She got up from the bed, and tossed Korra one. She quickly showered and brushed her teeth, trying to cover up the marks Opal left on her, but failed miserably.  _Stevie Wonder could see what you have been up to._  When she got back to Opal's room, she found her girlfriend rummaging through her closet.

-"Wow, you're quick. Aha! There it is!" Opal triumphantly pulled out a blue scarf, and wrapped it around Korra's neck. "There. Now no one can see what I did to you."

"Except that I never wear scarves and it's 65 degrees outside. I am  _so_  going to get burned."

-"Oh, quit whining. It's just your mother, and she has given you all the freedom in the world since you two made amends."

"That's true, but she'll still see what we've done. She doesn't disapprove of us anymore for my sake, but that doesn't mean she likes it."

-"You're welcome to stay here, and help me deal with Beavis and Butthead."

Korra smiled at Opal's nicknames for her brothers.  _One big happy family._  "I'd love to, but I really can't. I promised my mom that I would help her with dinner for tonight. Tenzin is coming over, and she is going all-out. We should get going."

She started walking down to the front door, but Opal stopped her before she walked out by pulling her in close. "Don't think you're going to get away with this. Whatever the twins throw at me, you'll be at the receiving end of the fall-out," she smirked.

Korra got a slanted grin on her face as she felt Opal's hands slide progressively lower down her back. "Looking forward to it, sweetie." Opal pinched her ass, and Korra gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Next time... Now let's go, slowpoke!" Opal smiled, and walked after her to the i3.

As hard as she was trying, that slanted grin just wouldn't leave her face. Her thoughts kept going back to the night before, even when she pulled into her own driveway again. When they finally did, Opal couldn't contain her giggling anymore. "You know you have a smile from ear to ear, right?"

"I'll do my best to get rid of it. But weren't you the one who suggested that it would be fine?"

-"I was, but still. You need to work on your pokerface," she added while chuckling.

"I guess I do." She gave Opal a quick kiss. "Call me if the Wonder Twins are too much of a handful. You can crash here if you need to."

When Korra walked through the front door, her mother came out of the living room in her apron. "Good morning. Did you have fun last night?"

 _Oh sweet baby Jesus, the universe has resorted to actively punishing me for my sins._  "Yeah, we did," Korra said, barely able to suppress as massive fit of giggles. "But I didn't have any spare clothes with me, so I'd like to change, and then I'll come help you. Deal?"

Senna eyed her up suspiciously. "Deal. Make it quick, I already started."

Korra walked to her room, and pulled out some clothes that were relatively clean, her trusty old sweatpants and a GTA V promotional shirt. Before she could go back again, her mother knocked on her door. "Korra? Are you decent?"

"Yeah, you can come in." She did, and she was holding a glass half full with a yellowish-white drink, which she handed to Korra. "Drink up."

Korra sniffed it suspiciously, but it didn't really smell of anything. One cautious sip however, made her soon realize what it was. It was unbelievably sour, and Korra spit it back into the glass. "What the hell?! This is pure lemon juice!"

A satisfied grin crept over her mother's face. "Yes it is."

"What would you make me drink this for?!"

-"You had sex with Opal last night, didn't you?"

 _FUUUUUUUUUUUCK!_  "Wha... Mom!"

Senna remained perfectly composed. "Don't bother denying it, Korra, I'm your mother. I see things. You suddenly decide to spend the night with your girlfriend, and then you come home wearing a scarf that isn't yours, probably to cover up a hickey, you walk a little funny like your hips are sore, and you have a massive glowing grin on your face. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out what you have been up to."

Korra took a deep breath, and threw in all the fake confidence she could muster up right now. "Fine. We did. We went back to Opal's place after dinner where we made each other squeal. So what, what are you going to do about it?"

-"Nothing," was the reaction, much to Korra's surprise. Her mother continued. "I told you that I wouldn't interfere with your relationship, and I intend to live up to that. You are an adult and you can make your own choices."

"Then what's  _this_  for?" Korra asked, pointing to the glass of juice.

Her mother smiled again. "That is to get rid of that massive grin. I love to see you happy, but I don't want you to walk around grinning like an idiot all day long."  _Fair enough, you kind of deserve that._  "There is another reason. Your relationship with your father is still very delicate. We both know he is not very perceptive, but even he wouldn't miss this. I know I can't stop you from doing this, but I will urge you to be a little more cautious in the future."

Korra smiled.  _She doesn't stand behind what you did, yet she is covering your ass. She would make a fine politician._  "I can do that. But Mom, I do want you to know that this wasn't something we just did because it seemed like good fun. Well, secondary benefits maybe, but we did it because it was something we both really wanted."

Senna seemed a little more hesitant now. "Like I said, I trust that you are old and wise enough to make your own decisions in matters like these, but you still live in my house." She smiled again. "Drink up, or I'm going to tell you in great detail about what happened the night your father and I made you."

Korra threw the lemon juice back in one gulp, and it got rid of her grin alright.


	24. Home Alone

Korra helped her mother with dinner, as promised. The taste of the lemon juice lingered long enough for her father not to get suspicious about certain activities that may or may not have been performed by Korra and Opal. Senna once again made Korra dress up, but this time around she didn't have a dress fit for the situation. Fortunately, she had the same size as her mother, and she could lend Korra a high-necked dress, something that would cover up Opal's handiwork from earlier.

The Three Diablo's lived up to their name. Korra was certain those children had some sort of caffeine effect on each other. She did manage to avoid any injuries this time around, though. A couple of close calls with Meelo, but all of them fell in the 'close, but no cigar'-category.

Dinner actually wasn't too bad. A slow-stove piece of pork with mushroom sauce was absolutely delicious. Korra got the shock of her life when Pema announced that she was ten weeks pregnant.  _Another one of those little monsters. Perhaps if she makes enough, they can provide the world with infinite energy._

After dinner, Senna offered to give the youngest two something to watch, while Tenzin and Tonraq retreated into her father's study to enjoy brandy and cigars while congratulating each other on being masters of the universe. This left Korra drinking a cup of tea with Pema and Jinora.

-"So, Korra, tell me, why are you wearing one of Senna's dresses?" Pema asked.

"Excuse me?"

-"Don't play dumb with me Korra. I was with her when she bought it."  _Fuck. Those are the kind of details she should have mentioned._  "So what is it that makes you wear it, when you have plenty yourself?"

Korra decided she might as well show instead of tell, so she undid the button on the collar with a sigh and pulled it down, revealing the hickeys. Pema remained perfectly composed, but Jinora couldn't help her curiosity. "Did Opal give you those?"

Pema immediately berated her. "Jinora! I thought I told you not say anything about her."

-"What? You said not to bring it up, and now Korra did. I'm responding."

"It's fine, Pema. And you're right, Jinora, Opal gave me these," Korra admitted while doing up her button again.

-"That's enough of that," Pema broke them up. "Jinora, go see how your brother and sister are doing."

-"Mom! That's not fair, Korra..." but Pema didn't let her finish.

-" _Jinora_ , do what I say." The girl sighed, but got up, and left the room as instructed.

Korra saw the humor of the situation. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

Pema just smiled. "I don't want her getting any bright ideas. She says she has a boyfriend, but I'm really not sure about him."

"Why's that?"

-"Tenzin discreetly did some digging. Kid from foster care. He's got a record, even though he's only twelve. Breaking and entering. Did six months in a federal prison. But girls of Jinora's age can't help but fall for the bad-boy. You know the type. You probably were the type."

"I still am the type. Can't deny that Opal got a lot more attractive when I learned about her tattoo."

-"I can't forbid her from seeing him. He hasn't done anything to us, but I fear there should be a 'yet' in that sentence."

"Do you want me to talk to her?"

Pema gently shook her head. "No, I think that would only make things worse. But maybe you could talk to him. Find out what he's like."

"Wouldn't it seem kind of weird if her babysitter would ask those kind of things?"

-"Well, you're not her babysitter anymore. And it'll seem a little less hostile coming from someone close to her than from either of us."

"Okay. You get us in the same room, I'll hear him out."

Pema nodded. "Great. But what was that about Opal having a tattoo?"

"You don't know about that? Her entire family has the same one. Her Metal Clan tattoo."

-"Oh, that one. Su wouldn't tell me where she got it, and I've never seen it on her, even though I have seen her in tank tops and shorts, so it's somewhere covered."

 _You have no idea, but no way in hell can you tell her without making this conversation awkward._  Fortunately, Senna came walking back in at precisely the right moment. "There, Jinora is making sure Meelo and Ikki don't trash the place, even if they seemed kind of tired."

Pema gave a tired smile. "I love them dearly, but they can be a bit... exuberant."

Fortunately, she had the good sense not to bring up Opal again, and by the time they left, all was still well.

It was a busy week. Between school, going to the gym, re-running World War II with Asami (quite a lot of it had sunken away again), and actually trying to go out with Opal, Korra barely had any free time left. Not that it mattered so much, she didn't have too much on her plate, there just wasn't a lot of room left.

She did catch a break. Her parents were called back to Arkansas for the weekend, something vague about a fundraiser in her father's district, but he had to go. Tonraq hated those kinds of things, but since he didn't have a choice, Senna went with him. In turn, she had her concerns of leaving Korra *ahem*  _alone_  in the house, but Korra assured her not to worry. She would be alone from Friday afternoon 'til Saturday night.  _Plenty of time._

The moment she had shut the front door behind them, she dialed for Opal. As it turned out, Opal was even busier than she was, forced to come along to a birthday of extended family on her father's side. Not the kind of thing she would force Korra to sit through.  _Early work-out it is then._

It went great. She hadn't overslept, she didn't drool on the floor, and Kuvira didn't show up. Korra felt the burn of accomplishment as they went back to the dressing room. Opal did feel obliged to remind Korra of something. "Say Korra, how long did you say your parents were gone?"

"Until at least tonight. Why?"

-"Well, I was thinking, maybe we could shower at your place."

"But we only have one-oooohh..." Korra's face flushed, as Opal failed pretty badly at trying to repress a smirk. Korra got one to match after her red color subsided. "Let's roll."

They both shoved their stuff into their bags, and after grabbing something to cover themselves up so that they wouldn't raise any eyebrows, they made a beeline for Korra's car.

It was very hard for Korra not to slam the pedal to the metal with the things that her girlfriend was insinuating were running rampant through her mind.

When they did finally arrive, Opal wasted no time. She made a half-hearted attempt to hang her vest on the coat hanger, and still failed, not in the least because Korra pushed her away finally able to shamelessly play tonsil hockey.

Opal soon pulled away though, and playfully flicked Korra on the nose. "Now it's your turn to show that you can do it," she smirked. Korra quickly hung up her hoodie, but by the time she turned around again, Opal was already upstairs. Korra started to make her way up, only to see Opal look over her shoulder, and she shamelessly pulled her sportsbra over her head and tossed it back, but Korra miraculously managed to catch it.

She walked to the bathroom, hips seductively swaying as she did so. It put Korra in a momentary brain-freeze, something which she didn't snap out of until she heard the water splash in the shower. She bolted after her girlfriend, eagerly catching her lips when she finally caught up. It took Korra a while to notice the she was already completely naked, and yet Korra was still holding her sportsbra.

-"That's two for two on the count of overdressed," Opal teased, and Korra promptly responded by putting her arms up. Opal took the hint, and pulled Korra's own sportsbra over her head, discarding it to somewhere in the room. She felt far less uncomfortable than she did the first time around, which was nice to learn. Opal stepped into the shower, and Korra followed suit once she had undone herself of pesky clothing.

First though, Korra took a moment to fully appreciate the gorgeous shape of Opal. Not that her sports clothing left much to the imagination, but still. She was soaking wet, the water running from her soft hair down her neck (which would soon be marked by Korra), along her perky breasts down her toned abs, and ultimately down her well-defined legs.

Korra eagerly pulled her close again, feeling the warmth of Opal over that of the water on her skin. Their lips clashed, making the moment next to perfect. Korra slowly moved her lips down to Opal's neck, sucking the skin as intended, leaving a bright red mark while Opal moaned. She pushed Korra back a little bit, a playful pout on her face. "That was payback, wasn't it?"

A massive grin broke across Korra's face. "If that's what you see in it, then, yes." She lifted Opal by her legs, and pushed her against the freezing cold tiles, making her shiver again. Korra quickly moved to gently suck her on the other side of her neck as well, making sure the Wonder Twins would have plenty of ammo to make life difficult for their sister.

Opal nudged Korra's head up again, once again pushing her tongue past her lips. She let herself slide out of Korra's grip, standing on her own feet again. Korra slid her hands up Opal's back, never breaking their kiss.

When Opal cocked her head down so that their foreheads leaned against each other, Korra looked straight into those massive emerald eyes, only a few inches away.  _That twinkle always means bad news for me..._

-"I will make you pay for these," Opal said, referring to the hickeys on her neck. "You put them there deliberately."

"Guilty as charged," Korra smirked, as she knew it was true. They were too high to be covered up with a collar, and difficult to do so with a scarf.

Opal turned them around, pushing Korra against the wall. She took one of Korra's nipples between her fingers, gently rolling it, earning another moan from Korra. She let her other hand slip down Korra's abdomen, and slowly started rubbing Korra's soaking wet folds, and that wasn't from the shower. Korra gasped as her girlfriend was working her up like this, and she could feel the pressure between her hips building.

There was a short-lived flash of pain as Opal pushed her two middle fingers into Korra, but that pain was quickly replaced by more euphoria, as Opal curled her fingers up. "Goh-od..." she panted, unable to say anything more intelligent.

Opal started moving her hand more vigorously, making Korra squirm harder and harder. Korra could feel that her peak was approaching fast, waves of pleasure shooting through her at the rhythm of Opal's hand. Her other hand was working some overtime, massaging Korra's breasts, trying to divide it's attention equally between them.

"Oh God... Opal... I'm close..." Korra panted, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Opal's devilish grin, and with one smooth move, she pulled her hand back, leaving Korra panting and unsatisfied. "Wha-why..."

But Opal just kept on smirking. "You didn't think I was going to make it that easy on you, did you? You'll have to earn it."

Korra was stunned, but she knew exactly what her girlfriend was doing. "You evil little..."

-"What's that?"

"I hate you," Korra playfully smirked.

Opal just smirked back. "I hate you too," she said, while she wrapped her arms around Korra's neck, and pressed a quick kiss on her lips. "Now do you have something to say about these hickeys?"

"Want me to give you another one?" This comment was retaliated with a swift poke to the gut, something which got Korra grinning like mad. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I know Laurel and Hardy are going to give you hell for them."

This seemed to be enough for Opal. "Yes they will, but for now, that'll do," she said, and slid her hand between Korra's legs again, earning her another gasp as Opal pushed the same two fingers back inside her. She curled her fingers up, making Korra moan loud.

But just as sudden as she started, she stopped, and turned her head away. Korra didn't know what was happening. "What is it?"

-"I could be crazy, but I thought I just heard the door close."

"Nah, that's... FFFUU..." Her latest gasp was caused as Opal pushed her finger up again, but also silenced by Opal, who pushed her hand over Korra's mouth to shut her up. Good thing too, as it turned out.

-"Korra, we're home!" Senna yelled from downstairs.

 _God-mother-fucking-damn it. Of all the times in the fucking world they come home early, they have to pick **right now**._ Korra gasped again as Opal yanked her hand back, and judging by the panic in her expression, was fully aware of how fucked they were. "Uhh... Hi Mom, I'm in the shower, be right out!" Her brains were working overtime, when she suddenly got a bright idea. "Mom, could you come up here for a minute? I think I forgot my towel!"

She heard the light footsteps of her mother on the stairs, and heard she was close, as she didn't have to yell anymore. "Sure thing sweetheart, coming right up."

Korra and Opal both stepped out of the shower, and she handed Opal her own towel. "How screwed are we?" she asked, voice trembling.

"Not very if we play this right. My mom will bust us, but that's a minor thing. If my dad finds out, he'll kill us. You go to my room, and get dressed in any way you can. Steal my clothes if you have to, we were here to drink tea after going to the gym, okay?"

Opal took a deep breath and wrapped herself in Korra's towel. "Okay."

A few knocks on the door broke their train of thoughts. "Korra, I have your towel here."

She walked over, opened the door on a crack, poking her head around it. "Mom, could you help me? I have somewhat of a problem..."

-"What is it?"

Korra opened the door a little further, revealing Opal, dripping wet, who had put up her most innocent smile and gave a small wave to Senna, who was now pinching the bridge of her nose. "Do I want to know what was going on here?"

"No, you don't. Listen, could you distract Dad for a few minutes, so that Opal can go to my room, and get dressed, putting enough time between us?"

Senna sighed very deeply. "You don't deserve it, but alright." She handed Korra her towel, and called downstairs. "Tonraq dear, I lost my phone, could you check to see if it's in the car?"

Her father responded with a grumble, and closed the front door behind him. This was Opal's cue to make a dash for Korra's room. Korra took her sweet time drying herself off, and gathered all of their things from around the bathroom, before joining Opal. She had relieved Korra of an old pair of sweats and a Modern Warfare 1 shirt that was too small for Korra anyway. But because she still played that on a regular basis, she had never been able to part with it.

-"I'm impressed Korra. That was some quick thinking."

Korra smiled. "Why thank you. But now you owe me big time. That's two for two on the count of unfinished business."

-"Really? I don't think I owe you anything. You said they weren't coming back until tonight."

"Which they told me. They must have caught an earlier flight or something." Opal thought about it, and Korra realized something. "Are you wearing any underwear?"

Opal smirked. "What makes you say that?"

Korra triumphantly held out Opal's sports clothes. "And we left our stuff in my car."

-"Busted..." She pushed herself off from Korra's bed and wrapped her arms around her neck. "But would you really mind that much?"

"We're about to drink tea with my parents," Korra chastised her.

-"All the more reason to hope these pants don't slide off. They're kind of loose," Opal playfully said, while pressing a quick kiss on Korra's lips. Korra felt another massive surge of heat coming from between her legs again at this incredibly alluring image. She teasingly flicked Korra's nose again, as she made her way to the door. "See you downstairs."

Korra let go of a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She dressed herself as quickly as possible, and went after her girlfriend, who she found in a very stiff impasse with her parents.  _You could still cut the tension with a fork, so to speak._

She took a seat on the couch beside Opal, at a proper distance of course, and tried to break the silence. "So... How was Arkansas?"

-"You don't have to pretend to be interested, Korra," was her father's curt response.

-"Tonraq!" her mother immediately interjected.

"Alright, then let me ask you something I am genuinely interested in: why are you home so soon?"

Senna smiled. "Our last event got cancelled due to bad weather. An fundraiser in the open air isn't something you want to do on an open field in the pouring rain. Plus, we were fortunate enough to catch an earlier flight home, so here we are."

Opal and Korra locked eyes, and the latter started grinning. "Should have put ten bucks on that."

-"What was that?" Tonraq asked.

"Oh, Opal was just wondering why you were home so early. We decided to go here when we came back from the gym, just hang out for a bit."  _Congratulations. That was about as genuine as a three-dollar bill._  Her mother raised a suspicious eyebrow, but didn't say a word. "But I guess we'll be getting ready to leave soon," Korra quickly added. They drank her tea as quickly as was humanly possible without inflicting third-degree burns on their tonsils. Despite her lack of underwear, Opal played the part of innocent little girl flawlessly. She was perfectly polite, drank her tea with her pinky raised, and addressed Tonraq as 'sir'.

The girls ultimately made their way back to the car, where they slowly turned to face each other and nearly bust a gut laughing. It took them quite a while to subside, because every time they looked over to each other, they only started laughing harder.

-"And here I was, thinking that family breakfast at my place was tense," Opal eventually managed.

"Well, trust my father to run all the smiles out of the room." Korra decided she was calm enough to start driving now.

-"How much does your mom know about us?"

"About everything. She has been more alert with everything concerning me since we made amends. But it doesn't really matter, she's on my side." Korra didn't look over, but she could feel Opal's raised eyebrow burning in the side of her head. "Even if we did push it a little bit this time."

Opal smiled, and suddenly changed the subject. "Take a right here."

"That'll take us to the I-95."

-"I know. You can take the Ring, it's generally quicker now."

Korra did it, assuming that Opal was right. She kind of was, as there was a bit of traffic but Korra was a law-abiding driver, sticking to the 55 mph limit.  _Even if that limit is total bullshit. The Germans have no speed limit on four-lane highways, and we are stuck at 55 on eight!_  Opal soon made it clear as to why she wanted to go this route. "Do you want these back?" she asked, referring to Korra's clothes.

"You can keep the pants, those are too short anyway, but that shirt was limited edition, I need that back. I'm gonna need that to sleep now."

Opal giggled. "That's both creepy and adorable. But okay, have it your way." She reached into the back, taking the clean shirt out of her bag that she intended to wear after the gym anyway. Without any shame, she took off Korra's shirt, who couldn't help herself but look over.

-"Eyes on the road, you're on the interstate!"

Korra was forced to tear away her gaze from her girlfriend,  _who hadn't been bluffing when she said she wasn't wearing any underwear_ , and found that she had already swerved half a car width out of her lane.

"Damn you Beifong, you are going to be the end of me some day."

Opal smiled and pressed a kiss on Korra's cheek. "I know."


	25. Drive

-"It's Mia. Look, don't hang up. You can't go back to any of the safehouses, Cross knows about them. Head over the old bridge, the location is on your map. Your car is fast enough to make the jump. It's the only way. Later."

Korra was expertly powersliding a hyper-tuned BMW M3 GTR through the water tower's supports, making it fall down onto three police Corvettes chasing her.  _I'm fairly certain doing that would result in a very expensive BMW-taco, but it sure as hell looks cool._

The game was nearly over. She had beaten the number one racer, and now the police was after her. As in all of them. At the same time. And yet, using skill, luck, and an indestructible front bumper, Korra managed to stay ahead of everything chasing her, and made it to an orange blip, prompting the game to load a cutscene, in which she saw her car making a preposterously long jump, as the car of Sgt. Cross was stuck on the bridge.  _Again, a cool image, but I ran that guy off the road ten minutes ago._  "Congratulations. You are now the Most Wanted street racer in Rockport City."

Need for Speed: Most Wanted. A decade old and still the best race game ever made.  _The original that is, the remake is unworthy of its title._  Korra smiled as she felt a strange satisfaction in completing it, when Mako called her.

"Hey Mako, what's up?"

He didn't sound too chipper. "It's not good, Korra. I broke up with Asami."

Korra's good mood was promptly slammed into ground and curb-checked. "You WHAT?!"

-"Yeah, yeah, I'll explain the details later, but for now, there are more pressing matters at hand. I last saw her when she came to see me after school, and I just got a concerned call from Hiroshi Sato that she hasn't called in and she isn't answering calls from either of us. I was hoping she would listen to you."

"Fine, I'll call her. But we are not done with this."

He sighed. "I know. Call me when you have something."

She hung up, and instantly called Asami. It didn't take long for her to get an answer.

-"Heeeyyy Korra. W-what's this for?"

Korra instantly heard what was wrong. "Are you drunk?"

-"No!"

"Yes you are, I can hear it through the phone!"

Asami was briefly silent. "Njalright. C-c-can I come to you?"

Now Korra was genuinely starting to get worried. "Are you  _driving_?"

-"Yeah, don't worry, it's fffine."

"Christ, Asami, you pull over  _right now_. Tell me where you are, and I'll find you."

-"Don't know... I can see the Capitol. Why don't we ever g-go there?"

Korra sighed. "No, I mean the street you're on. I need to know what street you're on."

-"Still don't know where that is... It has cars... and b-buildings..."

 _Fuck, this isn't working._  "Alright, stop the engine, don't go out the car, and I'll come find you as soon as I can, okay?"

-"Whatever you say, boss-lady..."

"You stay right there, and whatever you do, don't drive away." Korra hung up, and ran downstairs. She knew her mother was out for the night, but her father was still home.  _Guess it's better than nothing._  "Dad, I need your help."

He looked up. "What is it?"

"Mako and Asami broke up, and now she is drunk off her ass somewhere in the city, and I don't know where. I don't want her to do something stupid, or worse."

-"That's a job for the police, not for me."

"I know, but she's my friend, and she is in her car. From what I could tell, she wasn't driving anymore but she didn't know where she was." Tonraq stayed silent. "Look, dad, I know we disagree with each other, but that has nothing to do with Asami. She is my friend, and right now, she needs help." He still didn't answer. "What if something happened to her?"

He sighed. "Okay. We'll take my car, I'll drive you there, then you can take her home. I'll call up some old police contacts on the way."

Korra smiled. "Thank you."

They quickly slipped on their shoes, and made for her father's Volvo. He scrolled through the screen and quickly tapped a name while Korra texted Mako that they were going to look for her.

A woman answered over the speakerphone. "Beifong." Korra looked up in surprise as she heard this.

-"Lin, it's Tonraq. Listen, I need your help. I'm looking for someone, she's in a car, somewhere within city limits. Do you think you could find her with traffic cameras?"

-"I can't just do that. First off, it's a big city and there are thousands of cars here."

Korra decided to interrupt her. "It's a dark green Bentley Continental, and it's near the Capitol."

-"I don't know who  _you_  are, but there are certain rules about that."

-"Damn it Lin, just do it. Don't forget who put you where you are," Tonraq said angrily.

It was silent on the other side for a while. "I can do that. I'll call you back when I have something." She immediately hung up, not waiting for them to say anything else.

Korra was still kind of flabbergasted. "Is she the Chief of Police?"

-"Yes. And I can see you wondering, yes, she is also your... girlfriend's aunt." He hesitated to say it like that, but it got a smile out of Korra nonetheless.

"You helped her to that position?"

Her father gave her a chastising look. "Korra, those are questions you do not want to ask. Whatever you hear and do tonight, it stays between us. Understand?"

Korra decided that what he was doing wasn't exactly legal so she just nodded. They were making good progress towards the National Mall when Lin called again. "There is a green Bentley parked on East Capitol Street between 9th and 10th. Single female occupant. California license plate, 5TLA221."

Her father looked over to Korra. "That's her," she said quietly.

-"We're heading there right now. Oh and Lin?"

-"What?" she snapped at him.

-"Thank you."

She hung up without saying another word. Her father kept driving, and they soon found the right place. Fortunately, Asami was still there.

"Thank you dad. I really appreciate this."

He smiled. "That's okay. You get over to her now."

Korra stepped out of the car, and knocked on Asami's window. Behind her, Tonraq had driven off again. Asami had fallen asleep, but woke up when she heard Korra, she opened the door. However, when Asami tried to get out, she crucially misjudged the distance between the car and the ground, and would have fallen flat on her face if Korra hadn't caught her. "Jesus, Asami! What the hell were you thinking?!"

-"I don't know..." she slurred. There was a bottle in her hand, and it was nearly empty. Korra took it from her a threw it in the nearest trashcan. "I am driving you home, is there someone who can look out for you?"

-"Whatever you say, sweetheart..." Korra practically had to carry her over to the passenger seat, where she fell asleep again. The first thing she did was call Hiroshi Sato, Asami's phone was still connected to the Bluetooth of the car.

He immediately answered. "Asami?!"

"No, Hiroshi, it's Korra. I have found Asami, and she appears to be fine, but she is drunk as hell."

He thought for a while. "Well, thank goodness she is alright."

"Are you home?"

-"No, I'm not. I'm in Denver on business. I won't come back until tomorrow afternoon."

"Alright, I can take her back to my place, for the time being."

He thought for a while. "Please. She trusts you, so I'll do the same. Can I count on you to bring her back tomorrow?"

"Of course you can. I'll take care of her for now."

-"Thank you, Korra."

"Any time."  _Well, you have worked yourself into a giant mess. A black-out drunk under-age girl in the passenger seat of a very expensive car that isn't yours, now you have to give her shelter at your place without your parents' knowledge. She has also just ended a relationship of nearly eight months with your neighbor and best friend. This can only end well._

Korra was slightly nervous to drive Asami's 611 horsepower Bentley. It was very expensive, and she had never driven anything remotely like it. But, despite the phenomenal power, it was a surprisingly easy car to drive. She soon was home, and honked to let her father know that she was back. Asami was still fast asleep, and Korra didn't feel like carrying her upstairs.

A slap in the face was all it took to get her back in the land of the living. "Wake up!"

Asami cupped her cheek. "Oww, that hurt. Why did you do that?"

Korra was still angry that she had been so reckless. "You deserved it, now get out." She quickly walked over to the other side, as supporting Asami was still necessary. Her father had also appeared in the doorway. "Korra, you said you were going to take her home, why are you bringing her here?"

"There's no one who can look after her at her place. I want to keep an eye on her before she does something stupid again."

Tonraq nodded hesitatingly. "Alright. But if she makes a mess, you're cleaning it up, understand?"

"Fair enough. Can you get out of the way?"

He did, and they walked to the guestroom upstairs. Korra nearly threw her down on the bed, and walked back down to the Bentley to get the rest of their stuff. What happened when Korra got back to Asami, was something she would never have expected.

Asami was waiting for her next to the door. As soon as Korra walked through, Asami pulled her in, crashing their lips together. Korra was too stunned to do anything at first, but she didn't stop Asami when she did come around. Asami's lips were full and soft, and tasted like cherries. Even when she was drunk like this, she knew how to give a proper kiss. It wasn't until she ran her tongue past Korra's lips that Korra stopped her. She knew it only lasted a few seconds, but time had slowed down to make it feel like hours.

When she did push Asami away, Korra knew it wasn't good. But she was mostly just angry. "What the hell were you doing?! What the fuck, Asami?!"

She didn't know what to say. "I... I don't... I'm sorry. I shouldn't be here." She reached for her keys and phone which Korra was still holding, but Korra stopped her.

"No fucking way. You are going to stay here, and we'll talk in the morning when you're sober. I'll lock the fucking door if that's what it takes."

Asami nodded, and cautiously sat down on the bed. Korra decided it was safe now, took off and was out the room again in two paces, resolutely slamming the door behind her. When she reached her own room again, she fell back against the door. Six months of hard work, and Asami had broken down all her defenses in less than six seconds. Korra pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes, before slamming them down on the ground again.

"FUCK!" she yelled. It didn't solve anything. She knew she had to tell Opal.  _But how much do you tell her? That's the million dollar question..._  Korra picked up her phone, hovering her thumb over the dial button. If she called, she would have to have everything she wanted to say ready. But this would crush her.  _It would make you the second person to use her, fuck her brains out, and watch it all crash and burn spectacularly._

Korra just tossed her phone onto her bed. Calling Opal now would only make things worse. She pinched the bridge of her nose, forcing herself to think. Blaming Asami was easy, but Korra knew it would be a lie.  _Not the worst one you have kept up. With a bit of luck, Asami won't remember the particulars tomorrow, and all you have to do is not mention it. To anyone. Ever._

She sighed. Whether it would work, she had no idea.

Trying to catch some sleep was an exercise in futility. The guilt kept gnawing away at her. There were a few gaps in her memory, which were probably caused by some sort of unconsciousness from sheer fatigue.

She was no closer to any sort of solution. It was seven in the morning, so they would have to get up anyway. She went through her usual morning rituals (shower, brush teeth, eat breakfast, get dressed), but nothing felt any better. Korra woke Asami up, giving her just enough time to make herself presentable at school.

"Wake up! You are going to school with me, because we have a  _lot_  to discuss."

Asami pulled her pillow over her head. "Ugh, get lost..." she groaned.

"No! You do not get to tell me how and what to do after the shit you pulled last night, now  _get up_!"

She groaned again, and Korra showed her the bathroom so that she could make something of herself. She had a massive hangover,  _of course_ , and killed half a bottle of aspirin to try and rid herself of it. With a little bit of Senna's make up, she still didn't look entirely like herself, but it would do the trick. They were running late, so with Asami still unable to drive, and Korra's Audi blocked in, Korra climbed behind the wheel of the Bentley again.

An uneasy silence hung between them. Asami was clearly nervous, telling Korra that she remembered what happened. "So you want to tell me what the hell you were thinking last night?"

Asami sighed. "You mean why I..." She took a deep breath. "Kissed you?"

"That would be a good start," Korra bit back.

-"Mako. It had been tense for a while now, and yesterday I learned why. He was cheating on me with some slut from his own school. He told her that we had broken up a while back, so we both dumped him on the spot. Then I drove to the nearest liquor store and I think you can fill in the rest."

She was silent for a long time. "I don't know why I did it. I guess I wanted to spite Mako, and you were the closest person to do that with."  _Well, you are definitely familiar with that motive._  Korra softened up a little bit at this, but she was still torn between being angry and trying to support Asami.

"This is some grade-A bullshit, Asami. You were still aware of who was there and what was happening, yet you get behind the wheel of a car, and then you start making out with me, knowing full-well that I am in a very happy relationship."

Asami sighed again. "You're right. I'm sorry. About everything. I wasn't thinking straight, and I pulled you into my mess."

Korra pulled into the parking lot, and they got out. "I want some time to think this over Asami." She wanted to walk away, but Asami stopped her, and looked deep into her eyes.

-"Were you still in love with me?"

"NO!" Korra immediately spat out. But as soon as she said it, she knew that it was a lie. "It took me months to bury that shit, and now..." She stopped herself when she felt tears well up behind her eyes.

-"And now I dug it all up again," Asami finished her sentence.

Korra sighed, and it fell silent again for a long time. Her silence was Asami's confirmation, Korra could feel it. She was weighing her options, doubting between what she needed and wanted to do. "I want to be away from you right now," Korra finally said. She held out the car keys to Asami, but she waved them away.

-"You keep the car, I'll take a cab home. I'll send someone by to pick it up."

"Thanks." Korra put the keys in her pocket, and she turned around to walk away. She went to her first class, completely oblivious to what was being discussed. First chance she got, she texted Opal.  _"We need to talk, face to face. Today if possible."_

- _"Is everything alright?"_

_"Not entirely. Can I pick you up after school?"_

- _"Of course, I'll wait for you."_

The day moved both agonizingly slow and mind bogglingly fast. On one hand, Korra really didn't want to face Opal. On the other, she knew she had to tell her.  _So this is what it's like to be stuck between a rock and a hard place: fucking awful._

On the drive over to Eisenhower High, Korra could feel the lump in her throat building. She still hadn't fully decided what to tell Opal.  _Tell her the truth or live the lie. Simple as that._

Korra walked inside, and looked around for Opal. When she finally saw her, her normally cheerful green eyes were on worried.

-"Sweetie, are you okay? You seemed stressed."

"I am. Look, I need to tell you something, and you're not going to like it." Korra took a deep breath. "Asami kissed me last night."  _There. It's out._

Opal looked mostly confused. "Want to give me a little bit more context with that?"

"She broke up with Mako yesterday, and she drank herself silly, but got behind the wheel of a car anyway. I picked her up, and took her back to my place, where she suddenly kissed me."

At first, Opal stared at her in disbelief, and then started laughing. "THAT was what you were so worried about? You made it sound like you had to announce the Apocalypse!"

"Wait, you're just okay with this?"

-"Well, sure. I mean, you're a terrible liar, if it would have been the other way around, I would have known. Plus, it only happened yesterday, so letting me know is one of the first things you did." She took Korra's hand again, and gently caressed it with her thumb. "Korra, you're really blowing this out of proportion. I told you on our first date that I appreciate honesty over anything else, and I stick by that. So if you say it was nothing, then I will believe that."

Her emerald eyes looked straight into Korra's soul. Korra gently shook her head, while tears were welling up in her eyes. The smile disappeared from Opal's face, and she let go of Korra's hand to put it on her mouth. "Are you still in love with her?"

Korra let out a deep sigh while she felt the first tear fall. "Yes... No!" She sighed again. "Fuck! I don't know." She was silent for a while. "I don't want to be," she added softly. "I want to love you."

 _The silence was deafening._  It lasted forever, as they both didn't know what to say. Opal was the first one to really break it. "But do you really?"

"I do. I really do."

-"Do you love her?"

Korra gently nodded. "Yes," she said, so soft, that if Opal hadn't been looking for it, she wouldn't have heard it.

She sighed. "I want some time to think about this, Korra. I hope you get that."

"I understand. Do you want me to take you home?"

She resolutely shook her head. "No. I want you to go." She hesitated for a moment. "For now."

Korra pursed her lip, and nodded. She walked back to her car, but turned around once more. She wanted to say something, but she didn't know what. Opal saw it, and looked straight at her once more. "Just go, Korra."

She got back into the Bentley, and drove.


	26. Getaway

_This isn't happening._

The W12 was working overtime at the speeds Korra was driving at. She had to get herself out of the city. It felt claustrophobic to her.

_This isn't happening._

After she bolted from Eisenhower High, she went to the nearest highway, and just went somewhere that wasn't crowded. Or in fact, had any people at all.

_This isn't happening._

Korra throttled up when she turned off the motorway again. It was a quiet back road, giving Korra the room she needed. It wasn't until she caught air that she realized how fast she was driving. She turned onto an unpaved road, which she followed for a while before finally parking it.

_This is happening._

She ended up in a forest, where she got out of the car again. There, it was finally silent. The only thing to hear was the rustling of the leaves in the wind. She took a deep, unpolluted breath. Korra normally liked living in the city. She enjoyed the business, and never being truly alone. But not now. Within two days, she had catastrophically blown off both her best friends  _and_  her girlfriend.

Seeing Opal like she had only made her more torn than she had been before. She had been about as crushed as Korra had expected. She knew the truth, but that didn't make things any better. It didn't help that Korra still didn't have a clue what she was doing. She was still in love with both Opal and Asami, even if she didn't know to what extent.

It was a mess. That much was for certain. Korra didn't blame Opal for wanting some distance. She had unconditionally supported Korra, and never asked anything in return. She helped her put up a fight against her parents, something that Korra could have never done alone. She had helped Korra confront herself, and her parents. She had even managed to whip her into shape, and now Korra couldn't even say she wanted to be with just her.

Then there was Asami. Korra's first real friend outside of Mako. If it hadn't been for her, Korra probably would still be stuck in her own room every day, and she definitely wouldn't be dating Opal right now. It wasn't like they had a lot more history together, but she had helped Korra, befriending her even if she could have done better. She did it because she wanted to, and it was what Korra desperately needed.

Korra sat down against the wheel, and softly started crying to herself. After everything she told Opal, especially considering their history, she wouldn't blame her for breaking things off with her. Even if that absolutely wasn't what Korra wanted.

But she also wondered what things would be like with Asami. She was broken, having just ended an eight-month relationship with Mako.  _And you have nothing at all to try and help either of them in that situation. God, you are a terrible friend._  She had been so absorbed with her own anger at Asami's recklessness, and later on the kiss of course, that the hows and whys of their current situation had completely slipped her mind.

She hadn't even thought about Mako yet. If Asami was telling the truth, which she most likely was, it was his fault. But it wouldn't be the first time he would have screwed someone over, but it would be the first time it hit very close to home for Korra. They did have real history. Nearly eleven years. Cheating asshole or not, he was the only one who had stuck with her for more than a decade, so he at least deserved a chance to explain himself.

So not only did Asami force a wedge between her and Opal, Mako forced Korra to choose between him and Asami. _Fucking marvelous. Why do you even bother trying to make friends? Not even a year in and you're worse off than you were before all this._  That wasn't entirely fair though. Korra had lived more these past nine months than she had the seventeen years before. And meeting Asami had been the inciting incident.

But now she was also the central hub, connecting all her problems together. Cutting her out again would save two relationships by default.

_But you don't want to do that._

Korra sighed and let her head fall back against the fender. Pushing Asami away hadn't really solved anything in and of itself the first time around. Finally meeting Opal, that was what finally started solving things instead of only causing more problems.

Here she was. Far away from everything, with her relationship on the brink of exploding, her closest friend completely guilt-ridden, and her best friend turned out to be an asshole.  _What a day to be alive._

She was ultimately pulled from her thoughts when her phone rang.

-"Korra, where are you?" Senna was slightly panicking. "Why haven't you come home, and why haven't you let me know where you are?"

"It's..." Korra sighed. "I don't want to talk about it."

-"What's wrong sweetheart?"

"I'm somewhere outside the city. I'll come home soon."

-"Well, please do, I'm worried about you."

Korra took a deep breath, steeling herself, and got back behind the wheel of the car. She had no idea where she had gone, as she had just taken some random streets after turning off the interstate. When Korra turned on the satnav, she found that she had driven about thirty miles north of the city, and that it was one hell of a good place not to be bothered by anyone.

She must have been away for quite a while, because Korra ended up in massive traffic jams of the evening rush hour. It took her forever to get back to her house, where her mother was waiting behind the window, looking out for Korra's return.

As soon as Korra walked through the front door, Senna saw that her daughter had been crying. She didn't say anything, because there was nothing to say just yet. All she did was pull her into a tight hug, and Korra couldn't fight back against her tears anymore.

They just stood there for a long time. Korra was gently sobbing on her mother's shoulder, who ultimately broke the silence. "What happened?"

"I fucked up, Mom, and now I don't know what's going to happen next."

Her mother was silent for a while. "Opal." Korra just nodded, but Senna understood.

-"Did you two break up?"

Korra sighed. "I don't know." Her mother nudged her to the living room, where she sat Korra down on the couch, and sat down beside her. "I haven't told you the truth, Mom," Korra eventually confessed. "Well, everything I told you was true, I just haven't told you everything." Korra finally spilled the entire story, how she fell for Asami, how she realized everything, and why Korra had suddenly cut her out of her life. Senna knew most of the history with Opal, and Korra skipped forward until she arrived at what happened last night.

Her mother was silent the entire time, she just listened to her. "And now..." Korra sighed. "Now I can't do anything but wait for what Opal has to say."

-"Do you want my advice, or did you just want someone to hear you out? Either one is fine with me."

"I'd take Dr. Phil's advice right now, so bring it on."

-"I don't know Opal terribly well, but what I do know is that you two seemed very happy together. I don't believe that she would try to break things off just because you haven't gotten over an old crush as well as you thought you did. You told her the truth, didn't you?"

"Well, yes, I did..." Korra just sighed. "It's not just about an old crush. It's that she has always been there for me, but I can't do the same for her. I feel... inadequate."

Her mother thought for a while. "You're not inadequate. Any relationship is two-way traffic. Opal wouldn't have stuck with you for this long if she was the only one offering support. It might seem that way to you because you had bigger hurdles to face during you time together, most of which were thrown up by your father and me, but you cannot tell me that you haven't tried to support her."

"I guess so, but that doesn't really help me. How am I supposed to choose between my closest friend and my girlfriend?"

-"Do you think you have to make that choice?"

"Well... kind of. I mean, I think I never really got over my feeling for Asami. Opal just helped me bury them, and now that strategy failed, I don't know what to do. Last time around, I had to remove her from the equation for three months, and even then, it took me to meet Opal before I could finally let Asami back into my life. I don't know if I could do that again, and I definitely don't want to do it again."

Senna sighed. "I think it's best that you first wait for Opal's response, before you go jump to conclusions. You mustn't do anything rash now, and you need to think everything through. But unless you know what Opal wants, you can only speculate, which often makes things worse. You told me Opal and Asami get along quite well, so you can always work on a compromise between the three of you."

Korra let this all sink in. Senna probably had a better understanding of how people work than she does. But that wasn't very useful to her. The one thing she wanted was to hear from Opal. She thought about calling, but Opal said that she wanted some distance, so seeking contact would probably make things worse.

Her mother stood up. "Korra, I'm going to make some dinner. If you don't want any, that's fine, but it's here if you want some."

"Thanks, Mom. And not just for the dinner."

Senna smiled. "Of course. That's what mothers are for."

She went into the kitchen, and Korra went upstairs. Her mother was correct in assuming that Korra wasn't very hungry. She fell onto her bed, but she felt a lot lighter than she had that afternoon. She fell asleep, still not very easily, but better than the night before. Still being tired from going nearly forty hours without sleep probably had something to do with it as well, but you can't argue with results.


	27. Unfinished Business

When she woke up the following morning, Korra was much better rested. It was Saturday, so no alarm. There would have been, but a gym date with Opal was still out of the question. After a quick shower and a small breakfast, Korra went back to fail miserably at distracting herself. She tried not to think about Opal for the time being, so she played a few rounds of Call of Duty. She found herself stone dead last, while her name was well known in her regular server, she was a major disappointment her teammates.  _Their problem, not mine._

That was until the doorbell rang, and when Korra looked out the window, her heart skipped a few beats. There was a BMW i3 parked on her driveway. Her mother let the owner in, and called Korra down.

When she came into the living room, Opal was sitting on the couch.

-"Hey," she greeted Korra in a small voice.

"Hey sweetie."

They were silent, and Senna sensed the tension between them. "I'll leave you two to it." She made for the stairs very fast, leaving the girls alone. Korra sat down on the chair opposite of Opal.

-"Korra, I've thought a lot about what what you told me yesterday. I don't want to give up on us just because the going gets a little rough. I said that I'd believe you if you said that it wasn't a big deal, but even now that it is, I still believe you told me the truth."

Korra let out a sigh of relief. "I did. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I told you the truth."

-"But I can't shake the shadow. I can't shake it because I even though I don't think you are are lying to me, I  _do_  think you're lying to yourself."

This caught Korra by surprise, but she definitely knew what Opal was talking about. "Opal, I have been freaking out about this for two days now. I think that if I were lying to myself about wanting to be with you, I would have noticed."

-"That was my thought as well, but remember what you said when you told me about Asami the first time around?"

Korra thought back. That was months ago, but she had said that she moved on, and as it turned out now, she hadn't. "Yeah, I remember," she sighed.

-"Well, I don't want to fall into that same trap again. As much as I still want to be with you, I need to be sure that you want it just as much as I do."

Korra walked over to Opal, sitting down beside her and taking her hand. "I told you before, and I'll tell you again: I really do. I'll do whatever you want me to make that work."

Opal smiled, and pulled Korra into a tight hug. "That won't be necessary." She held Korra for a while, taking a deep breath before breaking away. "Asami called me yesterday. She told me everything, and assured me that whatever happened was her fault, not yours. She's a keeper, that's for sure. Have you thought about what you're going to tell her?"

Korra sighed. "I have, but I couldn't come up with anything. I don't want to be around her like this, but I also don't want to shut her out again."

-"I wouldn't ask you to. No offense, but you can count your friends on one hand. That's not a bad thing in and of itself, but you can't start picking them off like Walking Dead characters."

Opal speaking a language Korra could understand brought a smile to her face. "I'd like to give it a little bit more thought. I've already talked to her yesterday, and she understood that she put me in a very awkward situation. The one thing is that I still have her car, which I imagine she'd want back."

Opal smirked devilishly and raised a suggestive eyebrow. "Feel like taking revenge?"

Korra couldn't help but chuckle. "I probably got her a speeding ticket or two already, not to mention that she should have her suspension checked. Back roads at eighty miles an hour make you catch air."

-"You did what?! Didn't you yell at her for being reckless, but then you do it yourself not twelve hours later!"

"I wasn't drunk off my ass!" Korra yelled out in defense, albeit a weak one.

-"Alright, tell you what: we go to the gym now, make up for some missed practice."

Korra stood up, and pulled Opal to her feet, and pressed a chaste kiss on her lips. "Sounds great. Let me pack my stuff, I'll be down again in five minutes."

Four minutes later, they were in the i3, headed for Toza's gym. Korra couldn't feel more relieved. Opal had been a fucking trooper about the whole thing. She wasn't petty or jealous, and actually understood that Korra was going more through hell over this than either she or Asami were. Hell, Opal would probably help her if she asked.

Opal's theory wasn't foolproof, it seemed. Because they were so late, it was already lunchtime, and that meant the gym was quiet. They had all the room in the world to exercise. Korra bench-pressed her personal best, and Opal broke her own record on the ergometer.

Korra finished her two mile stretch on the hometrainer, when she noticed Opal staring at her rather obsessively. "Is there something on my face?"

-"Other than an adorable grin?" Opal moved in closer, pressing Korra flush against herself. "It took me months to get you to where you are now, might as well enjoy it a little bit. The view has improved since I brought you in here." She let her fingers trail down the lines on Korra's belly from her sides to the hem of her pants, gently tugging on it. It made Korra flush.

"We're in public!" Korra hissed, but found it undeniably arousing at the same time. There was no doubt about it, she was completely smitten for this girl.

-"That can be solved: we go back to my place for a shower, give it another shot.

Korra liked the idea. "Alright, but if you leave me hanging again, I will throw you out and finish the job myself."

-"Oh what, like you didn't do that last time."

"Fair enough, but do you really blame me?"

Opal smiled and pressed a quick kiss on her lips. "What do you think the first thing was I did when I got home?"

 _Oh sweet baby Jesus..._  Korra could save herself just in time from sighing that, but nearly bit her tongue off in the process. However, she couldn't stop the red heat from racing through her ears.

When they reached the door though, Korra started having her doubts, remembering family breakfast after last time. "What about Simon and Garfunkel?"

-"They will be gone all day, so we shouldn't have any problems."

Korra flared up at the idea. "Then what are we waiting for?"

They made their way back to Opal's car, and she took the wheel. Opal drove agonizingly slow, probably more to tease Korra than anything else.

"Do you really have to drive this slowly?"

-"Wouldn't want to get in an accident with you so excited. I'm not the type to drive an expensive car  _that isn't mine_  so fast that I would catch air."

Korra slightly blushed, but wasn't about to give in. "But this is your car, and we are in somewhat of - wait, are you taking a detour?!"

Opal looked over with a playful twinkle in her eyes. "Anything for you, sweetie." Korra eyed her up suspiciously, and a sly grin crept over her face.  _She not the only one who can play that game._  Korra slid her seat far back, while reclining the backrest.

-"What are you doing?" Opal inquired, more surprised than anything else.

"Making you reach fourth gear," Korra replied with a raised eyebrow while removing her hoodie. She slid her hand down her bare stomach, and into the front of her yoga pants. "Hmm..." Korra softly moaned, making Opal whip her head around now that they were waiting for a red light.

-"Are you masturbating in my car?!"

"Hey, you chose the long way round, and you could be doing it for me, but alas, you have to drive," Korra teased. "Oh God, that's good... I wish you could help me here, but  _nooo_ , you had to take the detour..." she moaned in a sultry voice.

Opal got the hint, took a sharp right, taking a shortcut through various alleys to the Beifong Estate. Korra stopped working on herself, knowing that she had won this round.

The driveway was empty, and Opal nearly pushed Korra out of the car and into the house. Away from prying eyes, Opal quickly pulled Korra in for a passionate kiss.  _Hook, line and sinker._  She ran her tongue past Opal's lips, urging her to open up.

She responded in kind, pushing her tongue far and fast into Korra's mouth. "Shower?" Korra muttered against Opal's mouth, who quickly nodded.

Opal made her way to the bathroom, already undressing both herself and Korra. By the time they reached the shower, all Korra was left in were her yoga pants and panties, which were getting pretty damp by now. Opal turned on the shower before turning back to Korra, pulling her in close to kiss her again.

This was it. This was what Korra was terrified of losing. Not just the gorgeous girl who was on the verge of making her squeal, but the comfort she felt. They were both completely naked, yet there wasn't any tension between them, no shame at all. Korra held her hand under the running water, which was warm, so she pushed her girlfriend in, and swiftly followed herself.

Opal's hand cupped her Korra's breast, softly pinching the nipple, sending a wave of heat through her and making the first squirm of the day a reality. Opal pulled away from the kiss, smiling as she pinched again.

She planted a trail of kisses down Korra's neck, only to leave a love bite on her shoulder. At the same time, Opal let her free hand slide down Korra's back, tightly gripping her ass an pushing her against the wall. It was just as cold as Korra had come to expect, but she didn't care.

That same hand slid around, gently rubbing Korra's clit, making her moan even louder. She started buckling her hips to the rhythm Opal's hand was dictating, until she pushed two fingers inside. This made Korra stretch out, standing on her toes, nearly losing her footing in the slippery shower, but she held herself just enough to stay upright. She gasped in her breath at the sudden move, not expecting Opal to do something like that without warning.

Opal pushed her back against the wall, making Korra shiver against the cold tiles. She moved her hand up and down again, while Korra leant heavily on her girlfriend's shoulders. Opal curled up her fingers, making Korra gasp hard. Her thumb pushed down onto Korra's clit as she started rubbing.  _Oh my holy Jesus, Mary and Joseph..._  "F-fuck!" She opened her eyes to see Opal with a massive smile on her face as she saw Korra squirm.

Korra yanked her head back as Opal pulled her hand up, and immediately regretted that decision as she slammed into the wall. Not that she had long to linger on it, as her girlfriend kept going and was she getting close to the end. "God..." Korra panted. "Al... mos-FUCK! OPAL!" She buckled her hips hard against her girlfriend, and this time would have fallen flat on her face if Opal hadn't caught her.

-"Easy there," Opal tried to calm her. "Sex in the shower is a risky thing, that much is for sure."

Korra wasn't in a condition to answer yet. She only nodded between her pants as she tried to regain her breath. When she got her feet back under her properly, she pulled Opal close again. Not for a kiss, but for a hug. She couldn't keep herself from crying. Opal noticed.

-"What's wrong, sweetie? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She shook her head. "No. I just... I keep thinking I don't deserve you," Korra said softly, but Opal heard her clear as day. She pushed Korra away a little bit, looking her square in the eyes as she wiped away her tears with her thumb.

-"Korra, you don't have to act like I'm some charity foundation, or that you have to earn my affection. You have been a great girlfriend, even if you don't believe that."

Korra smiled. "You really think so?"

-"I really do. You make me smile, you make my day, and you are always honest with me, even if you don't like the truth. That means more to me than you being slightly confused about your feelings for someone else. You said you want to be with me, and don't think for a second that I don't want to be with you."

The lump in Korra's throat dissolved as she pressed a chaste kiss on Opal's lips. "Thank you," she muttered, as Opal pulled her in for another tight hug. When she let go, Korra saw that irresistible smirk and those twinkling eyes again.

-"You know, I did just think of something that you could do to earn it..."

Korra returned the sly grin as she passionately kissed Opal again, and let her wrap her legs around Korra's waist again.

It was a good thing the Wonder Twins weren't at home. Opal would have never heard the end of it.


	28. Peacekeeper

"Say, would you mind awfully if I would borrow these?" Korra held up a pair of Opal's gloves that happened to be lying around.

-"Sure, go ahead. That's an old pair anyway, but why would you want them?"

"Just a little something I have in mind. If it all works out, you'll be on the winning end. Trust me."

Opal raised an eyebrow, but couldn't work out what Korra was planning. "Fine. Do you want to stick around for dinner tonight?"

"Nah, my dad would flip if would stay again. I think he's finally starting to figure out what we're up to. He's been snappier than usual, and I don't want to light the fuse on an explosive situation."

Opal shrugged. "Well, your call." She walked Korra down to the front door, but stopped her before she walked out. "Korra, I know that it might sound weird that I'm the one to tell you this, but... talk to Asami. I know that you two haven't spoken in over two weeks, and if you want to make things right again, it's time to start. It is way past time."

Korra nodded, and didn't offer any resistance as Opal pulled her close again. "I texted her to let her know that we were still together, but I know that's hardly the point. I still have no clue what I'd tell her."

-"How about you tell her the truth? Tell her what you told me, and it'll probably work out."

"If you say so. Now I really need to go, before traffic really starts to back up." Korra gave her girlfriend a quick kiss, who playfully pinched her ass in return, paired with an adorable giggle. "See you soon, sweetie."

When she pulled back into her driveway, Korra sighed at the sight that greeted her.

Even with all their natural elegance and class, there was no sight as depressing as an expensive car gradually becoming dirty from disuse. Since her little escape, Korra hadn't driven the Bentley, and Asami hadn't yet had the heart to pick it up. Not that it was a problem for her, she just borrowed one of her father's cars when she felt like going to school. But for Korra, it was the idea. It hadn't rained once since, so the dust on the green paint stood out like a sore thumb.  _Your own Audi may be dirtier than a 1970's porn movie, but that's silver and cheap and fifteen years old. A lame excuse maybe, but that'll just have to do._

She went inside, settling herself at the dinner table where her mother was putting the finishing touches on their tortillas. _Simple but tasty._  After dinner, Korra armed herself with a bucket and a garden hose to give the Bentley a good wash. When she was done, it was like the car just rolled from the showroom floor.

Korra went back inside, and arranged for her mother to pick her up when she called. With a heavy heart, she decided to get behind the wheel of the Bentley one last time.

The drive to the Sato Mansion felt long. It was filled with trepidation for Korra. She genuinely was taking a shot in the dark here, as she didn't have any clue how Asami would react. When she finally got there, the electric gates recognized the Bentley, and promptly opened. When she pulled up at the front door, she sighed, steeling herself, before walking up to the front door. Much to her surprise, Hiroshi Sato himself opened.

-"Hello, Korra," he politely nodded, stepping aside to let her in. If Korra was any good judge of character,  _which you are not_ , she would have said that he was hiding anger.

"Good evening, Hiroshi." Korra tried to be polite, but she could feel the unease hanging between them.

-"I imagine you are here to do more than give my daughter her car back?"

"Yes, I wanted to talk to her. I've had some time to work things out in my head, so I figured I would give it another shot."

He gave her a curt nod and gestured upstairs.  _Okay, maybe you are a better judge than you thought._  Korra walked past him, making her way to Asami's room. She knocked, but there was no response. Throwing courtesy out the window, she gently opened the door and saw Asami sitting on her bed, with her knees tucked up to her chest.

She was a mess, like she had been for the past two weeks. Her hair was unkempt, she wasn't wearing any make-up, and her wardrobe consisted not of the usual elegant skirts and expensive blouses, but instead out of sweatpants and a faded Led Zeppelin T-shirt.  _Almost like looking into a mirror._  But despite the disheveled mess that sat before her, she still had an air of beauty around her.

_Damn._

"Hey," Korra softly opened. Asami looked up at this, a faint smile playing around her mouth.

-"Hey Korra," she replied, voice quite raspy. She patted the spot on the bed beside her, on which Korra hesitatingly sat down.

"Never thought I'd be the one to tell you this, but you look like hell. You look like... well, me."

Asami softly chuckled and nodded. "I know. It's... This whole business, first with Mako, now you... It takes a toll. And I also have exams which I am probably going to fail badly given that I can't concentrate on anything."

"Yeah... That's what I'm here to talk to you about. I patched things up with Opal, and I have made up my mind. I want to be with her, and I want to make that work."

-"And you deserve that. What I did was wrong. It was a stupid mistake, and you paid the price."

Korra sighed. "You're being too hard on yourself. Yes, it was a dumb thing to do, and I doubt you would have done it if you weren't drunk off your ass. But I don't want it to put another rift between us, like it did way back when. You are one of my best friends, and I don't want to lose you."

-"Neither do I, but I don't know how," Asami admitted. "I have been trying to come up with something, but so far, dressing like this is the best I could come up with."

Korra smiled. "Bad call, I have a thing for girls in sweatpants." This got Asami smiling as well, but to continue, Korra struck a more serious tone. "This is just what I rationally want. I don't want to be in love with you. Not because I think you would be a bad girlfriend or something, but because I love Opal, and you know how I want to make that work."

-"Same goes for me. I think you can imagine that I'm not really looking for a serious relationship now."

"Yeah, I can imagine that."

-"But do you think you won't tear yourself apart over this?" Asami asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

Korra thought for a while. "Well, neither one of us wants something to come from this. I'd hate to keep you at an arm's length away out of fear that we're suddenly going to end up in a steaming make-out session. I think that as long as we keep that in the back of our heads, we'll be fine."

-"I suppose." It fell silent for a bit, but not uncomfortably so.

"So how was your first kiss with a girl?" Korra asked, unable to repress a grin.

Asami gave her a tired smile. "Not exactly what I would have expected. But then again, I didn't know what to expect. It's different from kissing a boy, that much is for sure. Mako was a pretty good kisser, but not amazingly so."

 _Now you be a good friend for once in your fucking life and try to help her out._  "Do you want to talk about him?"

There was a long sigh from Asami. "Well, there isn't that much to say. I told you that he cheated on me, and he paid the price. The girl he cheated on me with had one hell of a good right hook, which she demonstrated on him. Guess that taught him a lesson."

Korra chuckled, but the humor of Asami's story was quickly washed down with a fair deal of guilt. "God, I feel so stupid. I've known him for years, and I didn't see it. You'd say that I would have noticed something, but nope, I let it happen right in front of me."

-"Korra, I don't blame you. He was the asshole here, not you. You have a life of your own to take care of."

 _Restate: luckiest asshole in the observable fucking universe._  "Still, I've known the guy since the day we moved into our house, which was... what, eleven years ago?" Korra looked over to Asami, but she shrugged.

-"Don't look at me, I haven't even lived here for a year."

"True. But I do owe him quite a lot, so I at least want to give him the chance to explain himself, if you don't mind."

-"Your call, but I won't get involved. I've had enough of him."

Korra laughed again. "I don't blame you. What he did is a dick-move  _extraordinaire_ ," she said with a fake French accent.

Asami chuckled as well. "I thought you said your French sucked?"

"It does, but I know enough." Korra paused for a moment. "How did your exams go so far?"

-"I failed spectacularly at two so far, and history is up on Friday, so I'm basically a dead man walking."

Korra's face grew stern. "I did not spend over six months ramming World War II into you head, only to see you fall flat on your face three feet from the finish line. We are going back to tutoring, and you are going to  _ace_  that exam."

"If you say so, but not right now. I'm tired, and I really want to go to bed."

Korra pulled her phone out of her pocket and quickly texted her mother, then stood up and walked to the door, nodding to Asami who followed her. "Alright. By the way, I also came by to give you this back," Korra said, while pulling the keys of the Bentley out of her pocket and put them on the desk.

A faint smile crept across Asami's face. "You really managed to take it to the red, didn't you?"

Korra was stunned. "How did you know that?"

"It's a 200.000 dollar car, you think I wouldn't have it Lo-Jacked? I can track where it has been accurately to the foot. You would have maxed it if the road had been empty."

A hint of red appeared on Korra's cheeks. "Okay, I confess. If you got some speeding tickets, just tell me, I don't want to get you in any trouble." Both girls smiled at the irony of that statement.

-"Korra, I'm a Sato, I can take care of a speeding ticket. Plus, I'd think I'd owe you that much, seeing the trouble I caused you and Opal. I'm not going to let you pay them anyway, so don't bother."

It brought a smile to Korra's face. "Thanks Asami." Against her better judgment, she pulled Asami in for a hug, but it was she needed right now. What they both needed. Asami clearly didn't expect it, but she did give into it, and Korra could feel her relax.

When they let each other go again, Korra felt lighter somehow. It was like a massive weight had been lifted off her shoulders. And judging by the way Asami regained her composure, she felt the same way.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow. I am going to get you through that history test, even if it is the last thing I ever do."

Asami chuckled. "If you are that determined, I won't stop you. See you tomorrow."

When she stepped out of the Sato Mansion again, her mother's red Ford Fusion was already on the driveway. She had already been en-route when Korra texted.

-"So how did things go?"

Korra smiled. "We are going to be fine. All of us."


	29. Risky Business

"What was the name the Germans gave to the invasion into the Netherlands and Belgium?"

-"Fall Gelb."

"Correct, how long did it take them?"

-"Five days until they conquered The Netherlands, eighteen until they conquered Belgium, five weeks before they conquered France, calculated from the first strike on May tenth 1940."

"How do the British fit into this picture?"

-"The British had troops deployed in both Belgium and France, but they couldn't put up a proper fight, and they ultimately got stuck at Dunkirk. The British used tons of small boats, most of them fishing trawlers, to get their troops and a lot of French soldiers out of there."

"Yes. Now we have arrived at the fun part: The Battle of Britain. How did the British managed to defeat the Nazis, despite being technologically equal and vastly outnumbered?"

-"Simple: the British had radar, and could make a very good estimate of where the Luftwaffe was coming from, giving them a very distinct advantage."

"What was the major mistake made by the Germans?"

-"The shifted the focus of the bombings from military targets to civilian targets, mostly London. With support from the Americans occasionally making its way across the U-Boat infested Atlantic, they could offer enough resistance for the Germans to give up."

"Last one, even though this is more for fun. Who said: 'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few'?"

Asami smiled. "That is one of my father's favorite quotes. Winston Churchill said it."

Korra leaned back into her chair. "Well, that's about everything I got. If this is to be any indication, I think you're going to nail it." She smiled. "And you fuckin' better, because I'm going to kick your ass if you fail."

Asami raised a cocky eyebrow at this. "You couldn't if you wanted to. You may have the brute strength, but I have the techniques."

"Well, let's hope it's not necessary to find out. But if you keep a cool head, I think you can ace it. Your history has progressed with leaps since we started. Back then, you couldn't even tell me what year the Invasion of Normandy was."

-"Yeah, I admit it," Asami sighed. "But that was a year ago. I'm really glad I persuaded you into doing this. Even if it hasn't been without a few bumps in the road, I'm really glad that you were the one to bump me up a notch."

"I'm glad that I did it too. You were the reason I first came out to Pema, you know. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be dating Opal. Plus, do you have any idea how ridiculously much you pay me?"

Asami reached up to a bookshelf and picked up and envelope, which she subsequently handed to Korra. "Can't put a price on friendship, but you can put one on a good teacher."

Korra sighed. "Wish I could say the same thing for Mako. I'm going to see him later, would you like me to tell him something for you?"

-"That he can go fuck himself."

Korra smiled and took the envelope, knowing the contents. "Will do. Listen, I need to go. I have to meet with someone else that I can't postpone anymore." They stood up and walked to the front door. "Good luck, Asami. Knock 'em dead."

Asami smiled, and Korra walked out to her car. If their lessons meant anything, Asami would do fine on her exam. Korra managed to restrain the worst of her nerves the first night they reconciled, and now with two more days of practice under her belt, the necessary knowledge was back in her head as well.

But right now, Korra had to push that thought to the back of her mind, as she had to persuade someone else.

Ten minutes later, she was in at the precinct. She took her last breath as part of the whole 'building courage'-thing, and walked up to the front desk.

-"Good afternoon, how can I help you?"

"I'm here to speak with Chief Beifong. It's a family matter."

-"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but it won't take long. Five, maybe ten minutes."

-"Chief Beifong is very busy. She does not take kindly to teenage girls showing up..." Korra didn't let him finish.

"It's about her estranged sister. Her only sister."

This shut him up. He stared at her for a few moments, before scraping his senses together again. "Very few people are privy to that information. She is very private about her family."

Korra smugly leaned forward. "That should tell you that I'm serious."

He eyed her up suspiciously, but did yield. "Very well." He picked up the telephone on the desk, and after filling in her name, Korra was called through. She was led into a waiting room, where a secretary was nervously typing on a computer. After a couple of minutes, Beifong let Korra in. The office was about what Korra had expected: cold, but meticulously maintained. Everything was absolutely spotless.  _Looks like it was decorated by a sexually frustrated middle-aged woman._  The chief herself was stately woman in her early fifties. Her uniform and hair were just as impeccable as her office, but she didn't exactly have a welcoming demeanor about her.  _Looks like a sexually frustrated middle-aged woman. I guess that part of the puzzle solved itself._  It was hard to see how she and Su were sisters. Whereas she felt immediately at home with the younger Beifong sister, this one made her feel uneasy.

-"Sit down.  _Now_ ," she brusquely ordered. Korra took a seat opposite of her desk, and she sat down in her normal seat. "If you think you can blackmail me because your father has leverage over me, think again. I know I helped your friend out, when I should have slapped Sato with a DUI and an underage drinking charge."

 _Boy, you'd wonder why they would want to reconcile with this woman. Ten seconds in her office and I already don't like her._  "Chief Beifong, I'm not here to ask you anything like that. In fact, I'm here to help you."

She raised an unconvinced eyebrow. "I am the Chief of Police of the District of Columbia. What in the world can a teenager in high school offer me?"

"I can get you out from under my father's thumb. I know that he got you into this office. He holds that over you as leverage. I can give you leverage over him instead. That way, you'll even each other out."

This took Lin aback. She clearly had not expected Korra to be so rigorous. "Alright, you've done your homework. What do you want?"

Korra smiled, knowing that she had pushed her into the perfect corner. "Do you recognize these?" she asked, while throwing Opal's gloves onto Lin's desk. She looked up in shock.

-"Where did you get these?"

"You're in the police, don't ask questions you already know the answer to."

-"Opal and Su."

Korra nodded. "I have become quite close to them over the past few months. Opal still wears gloves just like these, every day. Her brother buys her a new pair on her birthday every year. She still hopes that one day, you'll come to your senses and make your way back into her life. Same goes for Su. If you went through the trouble, they would gladly sit down with you and talk things out."

Lin thought for a while. "I get what they have to benefit from this, and I get it from you too. But why would I do it? I have been quite content living the past decade away from them."

"Like I said, I can get you out of my father's grip. But the way to do that comes in the form of information. Since I cannot take information back, I propose this: you sit down with Opal, and she'll tell you everything you need to know."

She seemed hesitant. "Information is only as good as your source. It would be worthless if your father would just deny it all if it were to get leaked."

Korra smiled. "Don't worry. There is plenty of proof, but I cannot give it to you just yet. Talk to Opal.  _Take_  the risk." She paused for a moment. "What do you have to lose?"

Lin took another moment to think. "Alright. Let's say I do it. What guarantee do I have that you'll live up to your end of the deal?"

"Do you think my father would be very happy if he knew about this conversation?"

Lin nodded understandingly, and Korra pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. There were two phone numbers written on it. "Top number is Opal's, bottom number is mine. Keep the gloves, you can give those back to Opal. One more thing: I would appreciate it if you didn't let my father know that we talked. It would be best for both of us."

Korra stood up, and walked out of Beifong's office. "Oh and Lin?" Beifong looked up, giving her a destructive stare. "Thank you," Korra said in the exact tone of her father. Before the chief could say anything else, Korra was out the door and on her way back to her car.

Once she got back behind the wheel, she let out a massive sigh. It all been bluff, but it felt exhilarating. A massive charade that she had run in her head dozens of times, and it played out exactly the way Korra had in her head. She knew that it carried a risk. If Beifong was to tell Tonraq that Korra told her, she would be done for. The delicate balance they had built up since Korra talked him down off the mountain would be shattered beyond any repair. But she also imagined the look on Opal's face if she would speak to her aunt again for the first time in over a decade.

It was worth the risk.

She had agreed to eat dinner with Opal, so she headed over to the Beifong Estate. Not really to her surprise, Opal was ecstatic when she walked in, swamping Korra with kisses from her good mood. Korra didn't even get a chance to speak to Su, as Opal dragged her up the stairs immediately. She nearly pushed Korra into her room, and slammed the door shut behind them. "I know it was you who talked to Lin."

"What?"

-"Cut the crap, Korra. She told me that it was you who came by to see her."

Korra smiled. "Alright, I admit it. But I did it for you."

Opal pushed Korra down into a chair and sat on her lap, wrapped her arms around her neck and pressed a chaste kiss on her lips. "Do you really think I mind? You just got my aunt to talk to me for the first time in over ten years. I don't care that you went slightly behind my back. That's not even entirely fair, I just didn't ask what you were up to." She was silent for a while. "I really appreciate this, Korra. It means a lot to me that you did this."

"Then it means a lot to me too. And  _that_  is why I did it." Korra pulled her in close Opal's head rest under her own. They both relaxed into a comfortable silence for a while, before Opal just  _had to_  ruin the moment.

-"What did it cost you?"

"Excuse me?"

-"Don't take me for naive, Korra. Lin would never do this just because you put up a pair of puppy dog eyes, even if yours are hard to decline."

Korra smiled. "I gave her me. When I had to get Asami out of a jam, she helped me out because my father told her to. He had her under his thumb. Now, if it were to get out that my father, one of the toughest opponents of gay rights, has a daughter who is gayer than Ellen DeGeneres, it could do some serious damage to his career. Leverage, in a word. I told her, she tells him that she heard it from you, which wouldn't be very far from the truth, close enough to keep up appearances."

Opal chuckled. "You take after him, you know that? That is some grade-A backchannelling right there. Any politician would be proud of a move like that."

"I guess it rubbed off on me."

They were interrupted by Su, who called them down for dinner. Spirits were high, as all of the Beifongs were excited that Lin finally sought contact again. Su and Opal kept it quiet that Korra told her to seek contact, just like she planned it.  _Like fuckin' clockwork._

After dinner, Korra was about to go home when Opal walked her out. "Do you really have to go?"

Korra sighed. "Yeah, I really have to. I have to go yell at Mako, I promised Asami to. I know she has been taking up a lot of my time these past few days, but we had a lot to catch up on."

Opal raised a calming hand. "Korra, it's fine. I urged you to fix things, remember? I knew this would happen and I trust you." She moved in, pulling close by her waist, and she lowered her voice to a seductive whisper. "You know, the things you did, they deserve a reward... You'd be walking out on that too."

Korra felt a surge of heat race through her, resulting in a red blush on her cheeks. Opal saw it and giggled.  _Christ, this girl is going to be the end of me._  "Can I hold you to that?"

-"You can, but I promise you this: you will be sorry for stalling." She pressed a chaste kiss on Korra's lips. "Go get him."

Korra drove home, and first dumped her stuff at home, and moved on to Mako's place. She wasn't looking forward to this, but it had to be done. With a heavy heart, she rung his bell. He opened himself. "Korra? What are you doing here?"

"We have some business to discuss." Korra stepped inside, subtly forcing Mako to step aside. She walked into the living room, and turned around. "Why didn't you tell me that you were going to break up with Asami?"

-"Would it have mattered? Besides, it's none of your business."

"Bullshit! You two are my closest friends, and I found out because you were desperate. Not only that, but you cheated on her, which is even worse."

He thought for a while. "Alright. I counted on you, I admit it. You did, and I knew that she would tell you everything. Apparently, she did."

"You know, there was a time when I thought the world of you. Why wouldn't I, you were my only friend? But now, you don't even have the balls to stand up for what you did. You hid it from Asami and you hid it from me."

-"Did Asami put you up to this? Put me in my place?"

"No. I'm here because I wanted to give you the chance to explain yourself because we are old friends."

He laughed. "'Old friends'? That's what we are now? Well, since we are 'old friends', I did it because she wouldn't move forward. Man's got needs to. I tried to convince her, but she kept on refusing. I didn't force her to do anything, but I did decide to go somewhere else. Or with someone else."

Korra eyed him up with disgust. "That's what this is all about? Because she wouldn't fuck you? You are disgusting. She set boundaries, and in a relationship, you're supposed to respect those."

Mako furrowed his brow. "That's pretty rich, coming from someone who nearly assaulted her girlfriend."

 _That motherfucker._  "How  _dare_  you?" Korra hissed. "What went on between me and Opal that night is history, and you know why? Because we are adults about it. I saw the error in what I was doing and apoligized, which she accepted. What you did was the coward's way out. You decided to go to someone else because it's easy, and instead of telling Asami the truth, you let her find out. You know what? It's probably for the best. Asami can easily find someone better than you."

He chuckled. "Yeah right."

 _The barefaced cheek. The arrogance. Didn't he care at all?_  Korra snapped. Mako, meanwhile, never saw the right cross coming.

Korra knocked him on his ass with one punch.  _Muhammed Ali would be proud. That's gonna leave a nasty bruise._  She leaned over him. "I thought you were better than this. You've become an asshole." Without any further ado, she walked back to her own house.


	30. Honey

Asami looked Korra up at the radiator after her exam. Korra looked up and smiled as she saw her walk up. "How did it go?"

-"Piece of cake, thanks to you. Without your tutoring, it would have been a massacre." Asami noticed Korra's hand was bruised. "What did you do to your hand?"

Korra sighed and let her head rest against the radiator. "I punched Mako."

Asami was stunned. "You what?! Korra, I thought you said you were going to talk with him!"

"I did, and I did talk to him. But he was just so pleased with himself, it was absolutely unbearable. If he at least wasn't that, it wouldn't be so bad. I told him you could easily find someone better, but he begged to differ. And that's when I punched him."

-"He got on your nerves."

"Damn straight he did. He deserved it, and that's coming from me."

Asami laughed. "You don't have to excuse yourself to me. I like this more than you do. At least I can still use both my hands."

Korra smiled too. "Yeah, I guess you do." She paused for a moment. "So what..." but she was interrupted when Opal called Korra. "Hey sweetie," she said.

"Hey."

-"Listen, were you still planning on coming by tonight?"

"Yeah, why?"

Opal hesitated for a moment. "I need you to arrange a date for Huan, then we'll have the place to ourselves. The problem is, I've exhausted my supply of gay guys."

 _Wow, I don't think anyone ever said that line._  "Uh, I don't know, I'll ask Asami." She turned away from the phone to face said girl. "Say, Asami, do you have any gay guys in your class who might be looking for a date?"

Asami was kind of overwhelmed by such a strange question. "Umm, I don't really know... there is one, I could ask him, we are going to get a drink together later."

"What, you and the gay guy?"

-"No," Asami said, jokingly annoyed. "Me and my class. When do you need it?"

"Tonight, really."

-"I'll see what I can do."

Korra turned back to the phone. "Asami might have something. I'll keep my ears open as well. Huan is the last hurdle?"

-"Yep, already got rid of the Wonder Twins, Junior and my folks, he's the last one."

"Sounds good sweetie. See you tonight."

When Korra hung up, Asami still wasn't quite clear on what was going on. "Korra, what was that all about?"

Korra decided it would be a good time to have some fun. "Do you really want to know?"

-"Well, yeah."

The mischievous grin that appeared on Korra's face should have been a telltale sign that she was up to no good.  _Your pokerface sucks._  "Opal wanted the house empty, and Huan was the last hurdle. This means that we don't have to worry about anyone hearing us while we're having squishy lady intercourse." The reaction was as expected: Asami turned beet-red, and this only prompted Korra to laugh even harder.

-"Korra!" Asami hissed, embarrassed as hell.

"What? You asked..." Korra innocently defended herself.

Asami playfully poked her. "You know damn well what I meant. Keep that sort of stuff to yourself. But since you punched Mako, you have earned yourself my goodwill. I'll get you that date."

The bell rang, forcing Korra to stand up and go to class. "Well, that's my cue. I guess this was it for our breaks together."

Asami smiled. "Yeah, I guess so. But do know that you are always welcome at my place. It's easier when you are in my life."

"Thanks Asami. I'll see you later." With that, Korra walked off to her class. She was going to miss Asami. It was the first time since elementary that she had a real friend in school, and despite the rocky nature of said friendship, right now, they were at the best possible place. Korra still couldn't deny that she wanted to be with Asami, but since Asami knew about it  _and_  felt the same, it was easy to keep those feelings in check, leaving room for a healthy friendship.

The rest of the day at school flew past. Asami texted Korra when she was home to ask for the details concerning Huan's date, which wasn't a problem. Part pf her was curious how much Opal had told Su. She knew they were open with each other, but these were the kinds of details that are pretty awkward to share with close family. But it didn't even matter. Su was perceptive enough to figure this out on her own merit. Korra had no doubt that she had a hand in coercing Bert and Ernie  _away_  from the Beifong Estate.

It was about an hour to dinner, when her father suddenly came into her room. "Korra, we need to talk."

 _Wow, we spend six months making do with the bare minimum of required conversation, and now we need to talk. Fucking marvelous._  Korra knew that this could only have one cause. "What is it?"

-"I just got off the phone with Lin Beifong."  _Well, there you go._  "She knows about you and Opal, and now she is threatening me with it."

"But she owed you, right? What is the big problem?"

-"If she goes public, it would put me in a very awkward position. Now Lin told me that she would keep this a secret, and that we are even now."

"Well, then what is the big problem?" Korra asked, knowing that Lin hadn't told her father the full truth.

He sighed. "Lin is very discreet. I have no doubt that if she says she will keep it a secret, she will. It's not knowing how she found out that worries me."

 _This is the part where I get to create._  "Well, the last time I was at with the Beifongs, they were in a surprisingly good mood, because Lin had sought contact again. It could be possible that Su or Opal told her."

-"This is not good, Korra." Tonraq hesitated. "I need you to ask them to keep this quiet. I don't want anyone else to find out. The fewer people know, the better."

"Then call Su yourself. You've met her, you know what she is like."

-"Yes, I do," he said firmly. "Knowing her, she is already on the lookout for a way to crucify me after I kicked you out. I don't want to antagonize one of the most powerful businesswomen on in the country." His voice softened. "Will you do this? Please, Korra. I really need you here."

 _Game. Set. Match._  She kept quiet for a little while, making it appear as if she was contemplating it. "Alright. I'll talk to them. I was planning to go over there after dinner, I can ask them then. Sound good?"

Her father nodded. "Thank you."

Korra knew that she didn't have to ask Su to keep this quiet. She already knew that Su would. And now her father had played perfectly into her hand. It could not have gone better.

It seemed to take ages for her mother to finish dinner. Tenzin, Pema and Huey, Louie and Dewey would be coming over, so that was a reason to go all out. Another impressive attempt at a good meal that only hit its target half-heartedly, but it was still better than frozen pizza.

Dinner droned on for quite a bit. So long in fact, that Korra was getting quite impatient. She  _really_  wanted to get over to Opal and whatever she had in store for her, even if her imagination had made quite a clear picture. "May I be excused?" Korra asked, while standing up.

-"Excused? We haven't even had dessert yet," Senna interjected.

"I promised Opal that I would stop by. I'll eat some dessert there."  _Smooth. Smooth as fucking sandpaper._  All eyes were on her, while her mother gave her a beautifully chastising stare. Pema got surprisingly nervous, and everyone else remained oblivious to Korra's quietly brilliant innuendo.

Help came from an unexpected corner. "Senna, let her go. I asked her to," her father said.

"Thank you, Dad." Before her mother could stop Korra again, she was on her way to prepare herself for departure. Since it was very warm, she changed back into the blue tank top and grey Bermuda that she had worn earlier that day, until her mother forced her to change into a dress.

Korra texted Opal that she was on her way, knowing that Huan would leave any minute now, if he wasn't gone already. When Korra got there, her estimate proved to be accurate. Opal was waiting for her, leaning against the doorpost of the front door with a smug smirk on her face. "And here I was worrying that you wouldn't show up."

"You really think I'd stall any longer?" Korra, said, while pulling Opal close.

Opal pressed a chaste kiss on Korra's lips in response. "Of course I didn't." She leaned in, catching Korra's lips with her own.

Opal's lips were as soft as ever. It was a feeling Korra would never get tired of. She urged Opal to open up by running her tongue along said soft lips. Opal complied, letting Korra taste her girlfriend in all the best ways possible.

Korra kicked the front door shut,  _lest we want to give the neighbors a free show_ , and pushed Opal against the side of the staircase. She let her hands slither under Opal's shirt, caressing the soft skin underneath.

Opal shivered when Korra pressed down on just the right spot on her lower spine. "Bedroom..." Opal muttered, before pulling away. "You go, there something I need to go and get." She gave Korra one more quick kiss, and walked further into the house. Making a quick coin toss in her head between following her curiosity and waiting for the surprise, she decided to go up to Opal's room and wait for it.

She took off her shoes, and made herself comfortable on the bed, when Opal appeared in the doorway, with her hands behind her back. "Which one sweetie: honey, or chocolate sauce?" She produced a bottle of either one from behind her back, while Korra whimpered.  _Holy mother Mary, if you know what is wise, look away **now**._  She felt a surge of heat and wetness coming from between her legs.  _That was surprisingly simple. Although, given her ideas, I suppose not so surprising._

After the short-circuiting in her head had been fixed, Korra got a massive smile on her face. "Honey," she stated, surprising herself with her determination. Opal smiled and tossed her the bottle, while closing the door behind her and placing the other bottle on the desk. She walked over to Korra, pushing her down on the bed, giving her an eager kiss. _The emerald eyes spell trouble once again._  Opal leaned down, pressing a few gentle kisses on Korra's neck. She bit down into the crook of Korra's neck, leaving a clear mark.  _I guess tank tops are out of the question for the next few days._

She quickly relieved Korra of her shirt, making room for whatever else she wanted to do. Korra let her fingers run through Opal's hair, guiding her to the center of her chest. Opal was in no rush, however. She left a trail of kisses in her wake, and of course the occasional hickey. Not that Korra minded, that was what she came here for.

Opal unclipped Korra's bra, tossing it aside to make room for the honey, which she applied in generous quantities. It was a sticky mess, but Opal was already on it. She made sure to lick every last drop off of Korra's chest, taking extra special care of her nipples. Korra bit her bottom lip in an attempt to stifle a moan, unwilling to give Opal the satisfaction.

Naturally, she failed miserably, as Opal's tongue was  _far_  too good at the job at hand. Korra moaned loudly as Opal first bit her nipple, sending bolts of electricity through her body. She tugged at the hem of Opal's shirt, and the latter one took the hint, quickly removing it.

Korra raised an eyebrow at the result. "Not bothering with underwear again?"

Opal looked up and smiled. "There is no such thing as being too prepared." She crawled up Korra's body again, first pressing a chaste kiss on her lips, before Korra pulled her back in for a proper one. There was a good taste of honey in there, unsurprisingly. Opal traced the line of Korra's jaw with her lips, but felt the stickiness of the leftover honey on the skin of Korra's chest.

They stuck together like crazy-glue, but Korra actually kind of liked it. Opal started nibbling on her earlobe again, getting another moan out of her, and also making Korra even wetter, if that was still possible. Opal ground her hips into Korra's, also starting to crave some release.

She moaned at the contact, briefly stopping the assaulted on Korra's ears and neck. Korra could only smile at the response of her girlfriend. Opal managed to tear herself away from Korra's neck, moving down her chest again. She undid the button of Korra's shorts, easily sliding the supple fabric down her legs. Opal pressed a series of kisses and light bites along the inside of her thighs, leaving red marks in her wake.

It was incredibly enticing to see Opal like this. She looked up to Korra, and smiled before pulling her boxers down. Korra was already soaking wet, but that didn't stop Opal. She grabbed the bottle of honey again, squirting honey over her naked core. She took her time again, making sure to get it all, slowly working her way to the center.

Opal finally gave in, sucking Korra's clit, licking her folds, making her moan loud. "Holy... shit... Opal!" She just smirked at Korra's reaction, stoically continuing her work. Opal's tongue felt amazing.  _Good thing she's not as innocent as she appears..._

"Opal... I'm close..." Korra panted, slowly losing her mind as Opal ate her out. She grasped the sheets as she neared her peak, her breathing becoming shallow and uneven. " **GOD!**  OPAAAL!" Korra screamed, as Opal pushed her over the edge. She arched her back as she came, hard. Bolts of electricity shot through her entire body, setting every nerve ending on fire.

When it ultimately subsided, Korra was still breathing heavily. Opal climbed back up, where Korra kissed her again. The taste on Opal's lips was a mix between the honey and her own. Korra let her hands slide along the side of Opal's slick body, feeling her soft skin. "Your turn," she whispered while pinching a nipple.

Opal gasped at the initial contact, and shivered as Korra gently bit into the skin of her neck. Korra felt herself stick to the bed sheets, but that didn't matter right now. The only thing that mattered was Opal. She reacted to every single one Korra's touches, squirming and shivering every time. It was delicious.

Korra totally forgot about the honey. So did Opal, for that matter. Korra placed her mouth around one of Opal's nipples, flicking it with her tongue. She squeezed the other breast with her hand, getting a moan from her.  _Consider us even._

Opal's nails scratched across Korra's shoulders as she moved lower down her girlfriend's body. Korra just made her way down, pressing kisses on each of the Metal Clan characters, taking things easy when she got to Opal's sculpted stomach. Her abs tensed up when Korra left a lovebite on it, making it impossible to do that again. Korra instead resorted to sucking the skin, leaving hickeys in her wake.

When she finally reached her destination, she lifted Opal's legs onto her shoulders, giving Korra full access. She looked up one last time, seeing Opal lick her lips, taking it as a sign to go nuts.

Korra dove in, and tasted the sweetness of Opal.  _Who needs honey anyway?_  "Hmm, you taste so good..." Korra said, taking a moment to put another hickey on the inside of Opal's thigh. She gasped at the contact, pushing her hips more into Korra's face. "Come here," Opal panted. "I want you... in me..." Korra crawled back up, looking deep into Opal's gorgeous emerald eyes, before pushing two fingers into Opal.

Korra leaned on her right arm, using her left hand to fuck her girlfriend senseless. Opal pulled herself up by wrapping her arms around Korra's neck. She kissed Korra, just as Korra curled up her fingers, making Opal loose her grip and fall back onto the bed. She tilted her head back as Korra began to ride her, moving in sync with her hand. It was hard work, but Opal's sounds of satisfaction made it all worth it.

"Oohh... Korra..." Opal moaned, spurring her on. She pushed her fingers as deep into Opal as they would go, bringing her closer to her climax. It didn't take long.

"FUCK! KORRA!" Opal bucked wildly as the orgasm raced through her. Korra learned her lesson though, making sure to keep at least some distance, as Opal rode it out. She gently lowered herself onto Opal's body, hugging each other tightly.

-"Well, I don't think it's going to get much better than that," Opal contently said.

"I'd hope that it does, for your sake," Korra smugly replied.

-"You underestimate yourself."

"Perhaps." Korra relaxed in the bed, propping up one arm under her head, while Opal laid down on top of her, madly sticking to her chest because of the honey residue.

-"You really need to take a shower," Opal said. "You're completely sticky!"

Korra threw her a 'really?' look, but was too lazy and too comfortable to get up. "It was your idea to use honey, you know."

-"Yes, but you can't say you didn't enjoy it."

Korra shrugged. "That's true." She pressed a quick kiss on Opal's lips. "But you're probably right."

Opal smirked. "Yeah, that happens more than people want to admit. But this is very comfortable."

Korra had trouble just staying awake. With everything they did, and with her own little private stove, it was harder to stay awake than to give in. And even though Opal had a bit more energy left, they both soon fell asleep.

* * *

_Right people, this is the last chapter before I start the finale, which will consist of four chapters. I'm drawing it to a close._   



	31. Public Scrutiny

-"Korra, get down here immediately. You need to see this," her father called from downstairs. Korra was busy rewriting the Laws of Improbability by dodging hundreds of Russians on a snowmobile and jumping it over a massive abyss in Modern Warfare 2, but she decided that if her father called her down like that, it would probably be serious.

Once down, her mother was sitting on the couch and her father was standing next to her, and both of them had their eyes glued to the television. It was on the news, unsurprisingly, but what was on it was. Fox News to be exact, and the screen showed a surprisingly clear picture of her kissing Opal, right on their front doorstep.  _Damn, we do look pretty good together, but I doubt he would call me over here to admire that._

-"...our Congressman has claimed to be against homosexuality for years now, yet we have photographic evidence that his own daughter has been engaged in such a relationship for at least three months," a man with a Southern accent said.

-"But do you think the Congressman endorsed, or even knew?"

-"We have contacted Congressman Tonraq's office, but they refused to comment. But I think this does raise an important question: if he cannot raise his own daughter properly, how can we expect him to run the country in a way that we deem fit?"

Her father angrily shut off the TV and turned to Korra. "Someone has been spying on us. I assume you didn't know about photographs like this?"

Korra shook her head. "No. Do you think Lin tipped them off?"

Tonraq hesitated for a bit. "Seems unlikely. She doesn't have anything to gain by selling you out. Plus, if she knew for three months, why would she only tell me now?"

"But the timing makes coincidence seem hard to swallow. She finds out and three days later my face is plastered all over the news." Korra's mind was racing a mile a minute now. There weren't a lot of people who knew about her and Opal, and the ones that would make the connection with her father were pretty much limited to Asami, the Beifongs and...  _Mako._

 _That motherfucking, backstabbing, son of a bitch..._  Before Korra knew full well what she was doing, she was running out the door and ramming on Mako's. "Mako! Open up!"

He opened, and narrowly managed to avoid another right cross from Korra. "Did you just come here to punch me again?"

"You son of a bitch, you..." but she was interrupted by her father, who also came in. "Korra! Mako didn't do this. Or did you?"

-"Wait, what the hell are you two talking about? Will someone explain this to me?!" Mako exclaimed.

Tonraq took a deep breath, and stood half between Korra and Mako. "Someone leaked photos of Korra and Opal to the news and they are now trying to smear me with it." He turned back to his daughter. "Korra, be rational about it. What on earth would Mako have to gain by this? Getting even with you by taking it out on me?"

Korra's eyes were still on fire, but she did calm down. "Did you?" she bit to Mako.

-"No! I have no idea what you are talking about, I don't have any pictures of you and Opal, and I certainly didn't leak anything to the press."

Tonraq gave him a cold stare, but eventually softened. "Very well. Korra, we are going back. We have something to discuss." He pushed Korra through the door, before turning around to Mako again. "And I'm sorry about all this." He walked back with large paces, half ignoring Korra, who followed him to his study. He shut the door behind them.

-"Korra, I gotta make some phone calls. So do you, for that matter."

This confused her. "What are you talking about?"

-"In about fifteen minutes, there is going to be an army of reporters out there. And there is going to be another one outside of the Beifong's house, so you need to warn them. I'm gonna call my office, see if they can figure who and what did this, and what our next move is going to be."

He picked up the telephone from his desk, and Korra got her phone out of her pocket to call Opal. When she was done, there was indeed a mass of reporters outside of their house, trying to get a good picture of them. Korra was peeking through the now shut curtains, and walked back into her father's study, where he just slammed the phone back on the hook. It was quite clear to Korra that he was seething with rage. "Bastards..." he breathed.

"What are you talking about?"

-"What the guy on the news said isn't true. They never called my office for a statement, but I have to make one now. I can't wait for this all to blow over."

"But what are we going to do about it?"

He sighed. "I can't leave this house with someone knowing about it. My office has basically given me two options: lie or tell the truth. There is no waiting this out. I'll get in front of the cameras. They can go after me all they want, but I will not stand by and watch as someone uses you as a political tool."

Korra was concerned, but also somewhat relieved. Even if they weren't on the best of terms, he was still protecting her. _Use this._  "What would the lie be?"

-"I'd say that I didn't know, and that you kept this hidden from me all this time. It wouldn't even be a total lie," he bitterly remarked.

It did get her smiling. "Yeah, I suppose. But if you get caught lying, you're a dead man walking. And you are a terrible liar. Now that it's out, they are going to ask you of your opinion anyway, so I'd say 'tell the truth'. Most of it, anyway. Let's keep quiet that you kicked me out of the house and left us for nearly a month."

Her father smiled too. "Let's. I'll call my office, have them draft up a statement. I want this over, and I'm going to get the bastard who did this." He thought for a moment. "You need to go to the Beifong Estate."

Korra looked up at his last comment. "That doesn't sound like you."

-"I know. But I need you to inform them that I am behind you. Suyin Beifong is probably pulling her hair out over this, and I don't want to antagonize someone who could do a lot of damage. I'll call you when I'm going to address all those reporters."

"Fair enough." Korra walked to the door, but her father stopped her.

-"Korra? Go ask Katara if you can borrow her car. Running down a dozen reporters is a bad idea."

Korra smiled. "Yeah, it probably is." She got some stuff, half preparing to stay the night at the Beifong Estate. Katara was their eighty-something year old neighbor that lived behind them. One could get there by scaling the fence, or what Korra did when she was still little and adorable, crawl under it.  _Climbing seems like the better option now though._  She used to sneak over there, because Katara was a lovely old lady that had some abandonment issues. It also helped that she would allow Korra to have as many delicious cookies as she could eat. She really was a surrogate grandmother for Korra, who never knew her own.

A knock on the window drew Katara's attention. Korra waved, and she let her in.

-"Korra, how wonderful to see you. Have you seen the news?"

"Yes Katara, that's why I'm here. I need to get out of here, but there is an army of reporters blocking my way out of my house. So I may have a bit of a strange request: can I borrow your car?"

-"Why is that, dear?"

"I need to go over to my girlfriend. She is going crazy over this and I want to be there, but I can't leave in my own car."

Katara smiled. "Of course you can." She pulled up her purse, and handed Korra a bunch of keys. One was unmistakably for her car, so Korra took that one off.

"I'll try to be back later today. I hope the Beifong's haven't been swamped by reporters too."

-"Well, take your time Korra, I've got nowhere I need to be."

Korra gave her a hug. "Thank you, Katara. This really helps."

-"I know it does dear. You go now."

Korra walked outside, where she found Katara's Buick Park Avenue, a car so awful Jeremy Clarkson once said about it that he would rather go on the bus than take that. Still, it moved, and for now, that was going to have to do.

The queue at the Beifong Estate wasn't nearly as big, but they did see her coming, and the cameras were all pointing at her. The reporters were bloodhounds of course, but her father's prediction had been accurate.  _How tempting it is to run these fucking leeches down. But let's not, for appearances sake._  She revved the engine a few times and honked to get them out of the way, and they wisely did. Someone in the house opened the gates for her, and she could ride up to the house quietly. Su let her in, and directed her to the kitchen, where Opal was sitting at the table with a cup of tea.

Korra sat down opposite of her, while Su sat down next to her daughter. "So..." Korra began hesitatingly. "I imagine you want to know about the reporters outside your gate?"

-"You can say that again," Su coldly replied.

"It's a smear campaign, that's what it is. Someone is hoping to knock my father down a peg by using me as leverage."

Opal was surprised. "Someone would actually sink that low?"

Korra nodded. "You know what they say: all is fair in love and war, but in politics too, apparently. It's a dirty business."

-"What are you going to do about it?" Su asked.

"My father is going to give a statement, and then he is going to find out who did it. It's not going to be pretty, that I can assure you of."

Su thought for a moment. "He's actually going to defend you?"

"He will. He just said he's not going to sit on his hands while someone does this."

-"Whatever he finds out, I want to help. No way in hell am I letting someone use Opal like this, or you for that matter."

Korra's phone buzzed. It was her father texting her that he was about to give his statement. The three of them moved to the living room, where Su turned on the television. Her father just walked on screen. Korra smiled as she saw that he had put on his best suit, had immaculately combed his hair and given himself an extra shave.  _Intimidate them with formality._

A volley of questions came from the reporters, but Tonraq just raised his hand to silence them all until they calmed down. "Good afternoon. I will give a brief statement, and afterwards I will take a few questions. So if you would please let me finish first, this is going to move a lot faster." He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Recently, photographs have been publicized of my daughter kissing another female, linking it to my stern stance against homosexuality. While this is true, and I still stand by what I said, my daughter's life is her own to lead. I do not agree with her homosexuality, but that is not my choice to make. This is the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, and this is her way of exploring herself and her freedom. I will take questions now."

A volley of people shouting "Congressman!" followed, and her father pointed at one to ask a question. "Congressman, the anti-homosexuality was a large part of your election campaign. Has this impaired your views?"

Tonraq thought for a moment. "No it has not. I am perfectly capable of separating my personal life from my professional career. This has put tension on our relationship,"  _That's putting things mildly,_  "but it has not impaired my judgment. Next question."

He pointed at another reporter, who wasted no time. "What do you think about this, Congressman?"

-"I think that..." but he didn't finish his sentence. He looked into several cameras, weighing his options. "No," he eventually stated. "People have given me all sorts of advice what answer to give to that question. But to me, that question is irrelevant. My daughter is gay, so what? It's her life, not mine. She isn't breaking any laws, and she isn't actively looking to offend people. She is living her life her way, and someone is now trying to turn that on me." The reporter tried to interrupt him, but Tonraq just kept on talking. "I'll tell you exactly what this is: this is a smear campaign. There is someone out there who is looking to benefit from this, but I am not supposed to say that. But what I can say is this: I find this revolting. I find it revolting that someone would dare use my family's personal life against me. The main picture that you all use, because it's the clearest, was taken right here on the front doorstep of this house. I don't know much about photography, but I do know my own neighborhood. It was taken from around there, where that red car is parked."

Her father was pointing somewhere behind the camera, and it swung around to show the scene behind them. The red car Tonraq was referring to was parked less than a hundred feet from where the camera was standing. It swung back to her father, who was still talking. "Someone invaded my daughter's privacy for this. Not for any form of national security, but for their own personal gain. I love my daughter dearly, and that she is homosexual is a different matter entirely. Someone dared to paint a target on her head in the hope that the collateral damage would hurt me. Whoever did this, I invite you to step up, and to convince me why you are better at my job than I am. That is all."

He walked back into the house, while the reporters all started yelling in a pathetic attempt to ask more questions. Korra couldn't repress a massive grin, and yet the tears were jerking on the corners of her eyes. Opal stood next to her and took her hand. "Do you think he meant it?"

Korra smiled. "I think so. I need to call him." She took her phone, and dialed for her father. He soon answered. "What did you think?"

She could hear the smug grin through the phone. "I think you were great. Do you think this will fix things?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I probably stepped on a lot of toes, but I wasn't about to lie because it's politically correct."

"Did you mean it?"

Tonraq didn't even hesitate. "Every word."

"Are you any closer to find out who did this?"

-"We've got a long way to go, but we don't want to do this over the phone. It might be bugged, I'll get you a new one."

Korra thought for a moment. He was right, her phone probably was bugged. "Do you want me to bring reinforcements back to the house?"

-"Sounds good. See you in a bit."

He hung up, and Korra turned back to Su and Opal. "My father is working on leads trying to find out who did this. Su, you said you wanted help with that. Would you mind coming back to my place?"

-"No I would not. Opal, do you have any objections?"

Opal sighed. "Korra, a word?" She took Korra by the arm, walking her back into the kitchen. "This is ridiculous. Are you really so pissed off about this that you are going to look for revenge on someone far out there in the political field?"

"No, Opal, what I'm trying to do is trying to fix my relationship with my father. We've spoken more in the past six hours than we have in the past six months. You heard what he said to the press, he still loves me."

She didn't look convinced. "Korra, he kicked you out of the house. You just said it, you've barely spoken in the past six months. Do you really think that it's true?"

Korra sighed. "I do." She hesitated for a moment. "You know how we're from Arkansas, right? Well, back there, I had a couple of friends. Not many, but I could get by. I have never been  _that_  sociable, but you knew that. When my dad got elected into Congress, we moved here, and I think you can figure out what happened next. New girl, poor social skills, and a  _hilarious_  deep southern accent."

-"You got bullied a lot."

"You can say that again. That was, until I was eleven. I was quite big for my age, and one day, the kid who always bullied me pushed me too far. Just like with Mako, I sucker punched his lights out, but then I just kept going. It took two teachers to pull me away from him. By the time I was done, I could barely feel my arm, and I broke his cheekbone, jaw, and nose, the last one in three places. With me, I broke three bones in my hand." Korra smiled. "My dad was totally cool with it. He knew about the bullying, and was proud of me that I stood up for myself. The principal of course wasn't, but my dad cancelled a meeting with the Speaker of the House to come down to my school and defend me. I still remember that, because it was so important to him, but he told me that he would do it again without a second's hesitation."

She sighed again. "Things used to be different. We trusted each other with  _everything_. I told him which boy I had a crush on, he would tell me which members of Congress he secretly hated. Which turned out to be almost all of them, so he could have saved me a lot of time, there, but it was fun. We just grew apart over time. It happens, there's not much you can do about it. Me coming out of the closet didn't help, and now I have a chance to make things right again. I want to take that chance."

Opal fell silent for a bit. "Well, you helped me with Lin, I can help you with this." She gave Korra a chaste kiss on the lips. "Let's do this."

The walked around to get Su, and got back into Katara's car. The ride back wasn't really filled with much, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Climbing over the fence was a touch awkward for Su, but she kept in shape, so it wasn't impossible. When they walked into her father's study again, he just slammed the phone on the hook again. "That motherfucking, backstabbing, son of a bitch..." he breathed.

"What did they find out?"

-"Tarrlok."

"The Vice President? He did this?"

Tonraq nodded. "His brother is semi-successful at the Governor's office back in Arkansas. I locked him out of the race for the fifth district a year ago because he's a maniac. Now they are trying to knock me down a peg so that he can take my seat."

-"Makes sense," Su threw in. "The VP gains leverage in the house and establishes dominance there, his brother gets even and climbs the political ladder."

-"I'm gonna get the bastard. I'm going to find dirt on him and rub his face in it," Tonraq said, utterly sure of it.

"And what makes you think you have a chance?" Korra asked. "He was vetted and deemed fit for office. If they can't find anything, why would you?"

-"Because they weren't motivated. I am. Nobody gets to the executive level without a few skeletons in the closet. He's just very good at hiding them. All I need to do is find the right closet and give it a good kick."

"It's probably going to be a little more difficult than that."

Tonraq sighed. "I know. If we are going to do this, we are going to war with the second most powerful man in the free world. Do you think you're up for it?"

Korra looked at the Beifongs, both of whom nodded at her. She turned back to her father and a sly grin slid across her face. "History is written by the victor. Let's get to work."


	32. Skeletons in the Closet

-"You think it's not good enough, is what I make of your reaction."

Korra sighed. "No, I don't. Not on its own, at least." So far, they had uncovered a DUI and a solicitation charge on Tarrlok, which was definitely a good start. "And once we go public with this, there is no going back. He needs to be down and out for the count. If it isn't a TKO, he will come after you  _and_  my father, and he won't stop until you are both unable to ever cause him any trouble again."

Su wasn't convinced. "Well, unlike him, I'm not susceptible to public opinion. Everyone thinks he's untouchable, including him."

" _Listen_  to what I am saying. I'm warning you from him. The guy's an angel in the eyes of the public, it's almost like he pisses rainbows and shits gold. Three years in office and they still like him."

-"Korra, I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't need to be warned. I know how dangerous men like him can be. He's got power and a lot to lose, and we want to get between the mother bear and her cub."

"Exactly! Su, we have one chance before he strikes back. We agreed to put him in his grave, and all we're doing with this is digging a big fuck-off hole! We need something definitive to put him in there!"

Opal came in, startled by the racket her girlfriend was making. Su steeled herself, not wanting to lose control. "Fine. But if I can't find anything, we'll do it my way." She stood up and walked to the door, where Korra followed her. Opal slammed her arm across the doorframe, blocking Korra from walking out. "A word?" she asked sternly.

Su walked out, and Opal resolutely shut the door behind her. "Korra, you're starting to lose it."

"No I'm not," Korra curtly responded.

-"Yes, you are. You were just yelling at my mom, for crying out loud. You said this wasn't about revenge."

"It's not. You know damn well why I'm doing this."

-"No I don't," Opal softly responded. "You wanted to repair your relationship with your father, and saw getting even with Tarrlok as an added bonus. Well, I'm starting to get the feeling those two have switched places."

Korra was surprised. "You really think I would take a risk like that just to get even?"

-"I think you would. You're losing track of the bigger picture, Korra."

She sighed. "What would you suggest we do? Pull our pants down to our ankles and bend over?" Korra paused for a moment. "He used us. He doesn't care about what it does to us, all he cares about is his personal gain, and maybe that of his brother. Do you just want to let that happen?"

-"Of course I don't, but he's the freakin' Vice President! Your father warned us, it's going to be an uphill battle, and if you're losing your cool, he will win."

"What are you suggesting? That we just throw in the towel when we are  _this_  close to beating him down?!"

Opal straightened herself, and looked at Korra in disbelief. "Are you calling me a coward?"

"Are you calling me an asshole?"

Opal's face hardened. "Well, it's a stretch to imagine."

Korra scoffed. "Likewise."

-"You are  _far_  more like your father than you'd like to admit. And that's not in a good way."

"At least I'm willing to do what's necessary!"

-"Including yelling at my mom?!"

"If that what it takes!"

Opal breathed deeply. "Get out," she hissed, dangerously low. Korra suspiciously eyed her up, and saw that she was completely serious. Without another word, she turned around and walked out.

The drive home was a blur. It was nothing short of a miracle that she didn't cause three or four accidents on her way home.  _Thought even if you did, you probably wouldn't have noticed._  Of all people, Korra would have expected Su and Opal to understand. Opal even said that she would help her, but now the going gets a little tough, she wants to bail. She was inching her way to repairing her relationship with her father, and he is taking a genuinely big risk.  _Excuse me if I don't want to see my father ruin his career or end up in handcuffs for libel._

She walked inside, slamming the doors behind her in frustration. Korra dropped herself on her bed with a loud grunt, and after a while, her father came up. "Korra, are you alright?"

Korra sighed. "No... Su wanted to go public now, I didn't, I yelled at her, then Opal and I had a fight, we both said things we shouldn't have, and here I am."

Her father pulled up a chair and sat down across from her. "What did you say?"

Korra threw a sceptic glance his way. "What do you care?"

-"I'm not stupid, Korra. You want to bring us closer together, and truth be told, so do I. We might have our disagreements, but I think we are proving what we are capable of when we work together instead of against each other."

She smiled. "Yeah... I guess we are." She sat up straight. "I called her a coward, she called me an asshole. She's not entirely wrong, though."

-"Does she want to pull out?"

Korra sighed. "Not per se, but she was in it to help me fix our relationship," she said, while gesturing between her and her father. "She thinks I lost track of that goal, and that I'm getting hell-bent  _just_  on seeking revenge."

-"Are you?" Tonraq eventually asked.

It was silent for a bit. "I don't know. I don't think so, but Opal does. And she hasn't pegged me wrong once, so I'm guessing it's true."

Her father furrowed his brow. "Korra, every relationship has ups and downs. You are taking this personal, and I am not surprised it's putting pressure on your relationship. Give it some time, she'll come around."

Korra smiled. "Does this mean you are finally okay with me falling for girls?"

Her father thought for a long time. "I think so. I still don't like it, but your mother is right. You haven't looked this happy in years." He paused for a moment. "I said that I wanted to protect you. I still do. The thing is: I'm still comparing my past to your future. I had a childhood out of the ordinary, so I wanted everything about yours to be as normal as possible. And you being... gay... didn't fit that picture." Tonraq hesitated tremendously to say it, but it made Korra happy nevertheless. He finally said it, and he was finally accepting her.

"Thanks dad. This really means a lot to me."

He smiled. "Well, I guess you accomplished one goal. I hope you'll still help me accomplish the other one." Tonraq stood up. "I'll call Suyin. You're right, I don't think we should go public just yet." Before walking out, he turned around again. "You're going to be alright, kid. You and Opal."

Korra smiled. Her father walked out, and she let herself fall back onto her bed.  _Holy fish on a pancake, you actually did it._ For the first time in years, their relationship was actually improving.

Opal was right, she let Tarrlok get to her, and now they were paying the price. The best thing to do first was to give her some time, at least letting the emotions settle down. Korra didn't want to lose track of the big picture, and right now, the frame was shifting.

A week passed. Su called a couple of times to let her father know that she may have something, but she needed to dig deeper to make it stick. Neither Korra nor Tonraq knew what she had in mind, but if she was being so secretive, it must be good.

But it was the fact that Opal didn't want anything to do with Korra that started to get her worried. She had sent tons of text and called numerous times, but Opal ignored all of it. Sure, they had a fight, but that wasn't a reason to suddenly shut her out? Korra wished she at least knew what was going on Opal's head, but she could never connect all loose ends. It was a mess.

And all of a sudden, Su turned up on their doorstep.

"Su? Wha- what are you doing here?"

-"I'm here on business. We have some things to discuss." Her voice was harder and lower than usual.  _Suddenly her nickname 'The Full Metal Bitch' doesn't seem so far-fetched anymore._  She stepped inside, making her way to Tonraq's study. He was there, and looked up in surprise when Su and Korra walked in.

-"I have what you wanted: something definitive." She sat down and pulled a file from her bag, placing it on Tonraq's desk. "This is what we need. Have you heard of Varrick Global Industries?"

Her father nodded. "Yeah, a shipping company based in Arkansas, if I'm not mistaken."

-"Exactly. Now take a look at that," she said, gesturing to the file.

Korra and her father looked at it, but it didn't make a lot of sense to Korra. The one page that made the most sense was a map of a couple of states along the Mississippi, with a few places circled in black and one in red. The rest was just an endless array of big numbers and technical terms. "What are we looking at here?" Korra asked.

-"Varrick is a brash-but-brilliant businessman. I worked with him on the railroad project your father helped me with, and let me tell you, that was once but never again. He has been trying for years to build a shipyard somewhere on the Mississippi, but the states continuously stopped him. No one really trusts the guy, he'll always stab everyone in the back. His primary target was Arkansas, and five years ago, he suddenly got his approval from the Governor's Office."

Tonraq looked up. "When Tarrlok was Governor."

Su smiled "Bingo. I looked up the contributions to the party. Eighteen million dollars came from Varrick Global, giving Tarrlok and Raiko a significant advantage over the opposition. Previously, his money had been flowing to the other side of the aisle."

"But that doesn't matter, political contributions aren't illegal, right?" Korra said, reasonably certain of herself.

-"No they are not. Even if that was what prompted the shipyard's approval, it wouldn't be enough to prove anything. But he left a loose end. Tarrlok exerted pressure over several counties in order to find one where the shipyard would be approved. Of course, it also got him credit for creating jobs, further aiding him into getting elected. But something didn't add up about the numbers. I redid the math a couple of times, and I could only conclude that twenty million dollars left the account of Varrick Global. Meaning..."

"Two million got lost somewhere along the way."

-"I used this knowledge to dig deep into records. Out of nowhere, Tarrlok became a big shareholder in Varrick's company, and a week later, the shipyard was announced. Share prices soared, and two million quickly became five. It made Tarrlok obscenely rich, and he made the mistake of flaunting it, mostly in expensive art and new shares of Varrick Global. Money he couldn't possibly have made being Governor."

Tonraq was stunned. "Are you saying that Varrick bribed him?"

Su nodded. "Absolutely. We have a solid charge of corruption lying right in front of us."

A massive smile crept across Korra's face.  _We got him by the balls now. All we have to do is squeeze._  "This is brilliant. No way can he cope with this. If we come out with the DUI and solicitation first, then throw out this, he's going down."

Tonraq leaned back into his chair, an equally big smile playing across his face. "We got him by the balls now. All we have to do is squeeze." He grinned, quite content with his remark. "Suyin, you're an angel. If you didn't hate my guts, I'd kiss you right now."

Su smiled. "You don't have to do that, but I appreciate the sentiment. Also, I don't necessarily hate you."

-"Regardless, this is great. I... I don't know how to thank you."

-"Just bring that bastard down. I want to watch him burn."

-"And you'll have front row seats. Keep an eye on the news. I'll take it from here," her father said.

They both stood up, and shook hands. "Pleasure doing business, Congressman."

-"The pleasure was mine, Mrs. Beifong."

Korra stood up as well. "I'll show you out." They walked down to the hall, and that's where Korra decided to make her play. "Su, I want to apologize to you. Also to Opal, but she isn't here. She was right. I let Tarrlok get to me and lashed out at you in response."

A slight smile crept across her face. "You should really be saying this to Opal."

Korra sighed. "I know, but she won't answer my calls or return my texts. Could you..." She hesitated. "Could you tell her I said that I'm an ass and that she was right?"

-"I will. And thank you, for pushing me on. In hindsight, it probably wouldn't have been enough to just do the DUI and solicitation."

"Water under the bridge. You do know you just single-handedly brought down the Vice President of the United States?"

-"I didn't do it alone. You should give yourself more credit, Korra. You earned it. I'll talk to Opal. We just became the winning team." With that, she walked to her Land Rover Evoque, and drove back to the Beifong Estate.

The next day, Tonraq leaked the first two charges to the press. Tarrlok scheduled a press conference, attempting to contain the damage. He didn't know the worst was yet to come. Tonraq made sure to leak the corruption file at such a time that the FBI came in during the press conference, not so subtly taking positions on all exits in front of cameras of the entire country. They had the good graces not to slam the handcuffs on him on camera, but it was pretty close.

Korra and her father watched it unfold on their television, both of them lined with identical smug grins. "We won," she said. For the first time since she could remember, her father pulled her into a hug. This was their victory.

-"We did it, kid. The greatest trick ever played on the White House." At the same time, her phone started buzzing. It was on the table, and her father looked at the screen. "You'll want to take that."

She took a deep breath, and picked up. "Hey sweetie..."


	33. Up, Up, and Away

Korra was once again the first one to arrive at The Jasmine Dragon, wholly unlike her. Opal would probably be arriving soon, and it was a good thing too. They hadn't been in the same room for a week, and were about ready to try and make amends.

She took a seat at a table, and a waiter came quickly to take her order. "Two fresh mint teas with honey, please."

He gave her an incredulous look. "Two?"

"My date will be here in a minute or so."

He lifted his eyebrows like he thought she was lying, but walked off without asking any further questions.  _Guess he won't be getting a big tip._

It wasn't long before Opal came into the shop as well. Korra eyed her up. She was wearing a casual green button down shirt and white hot pants, making a glorious contrast with her tanned and toned legs.  _It's almost like she is trying to make you regret the time you couldn't spend with her because you're a stubborn jackass. **Damn** , those legs._ Somehow, she managed to time it perfectly with their tea arriving. "You couldn't resist, could you?"

"Don't you know me at all?"

-"I suppose you know me pretty well." She sat down across from Korra, a smile lining her face. "You're crazy, you know that?"

This confused Korra. "I am?"

-"You went toe to toe with the VP and won. I guess I should have had a little more faith in you."

"And I should have kept my cool. You were right, I let the stress get to me. I'm sorry I yelled at you. And at your mom."

Opal started preparing her tea. "Well, there is that... I stand by what I said, Korra. Maybe not the 'you're an asshole'-part, but definitely the part about you letting it get to you."

"And you should." It briefly fell silent. "So how have you been this past week?"

Opal smiled. "Bored. Worked a lot. So while it's a hundred degrees and I should be at a beach, I was pushing papers in my mother's office." Korra raised a skeptical eyebrow, and Opal smirked. "Yeah..."

"Sounds like you could use a bit of time off."

-"Doesn't sound like a bad idea."

Korra looked up when the door opened, and four massive men in expensive suits and sunglasses walked in. The biggest one with the most expensive suit and the darkest sunglasses walked straight to them, followed by the second biggest one. The other two stayed at either side of the front door. Opal noticed that Korra was looking at them, and turned around as well. "Can we help you?"

-"US Secret Service. We need you to come with us," he said in a voice much higher than she had expected from a man his size. He pulled a badge from his chest pocket, identifying him as Commander Iroh.

Korra and Opal gave each other a look that could only mean neither of them knew what the hell was going on. From the corner of her eye, Korra saw Iroh nod, and the second one placed his hand on her keys, which were on the table. In a reflexive dash, Korra slammed her hand on his, squeezing as hard as she could. He grimaced, clearly not expecting Korra to be so strong. "Back. Off," she hissed.  _That'll teach you not to underestimate a girl._

-"Miss, don't make this any harder than is necessary. He will take your car back to your home."

"I don't want anyone to take my car, I want you to leave us alone!"

He stepped forward, leaning over their table. "Miss, these orders come directly from the President. You two  _will_  come with us, even if that means I have to slam you in handcuffs and put my gun to your head." He pulled open the left side of his jacket, revealing the FN Five-seven in his shoulder holster and the knowledge that he wasn't joking around.

-"Korra, let's just do this," Opal said calmingly. "He looks like he is serious."

She looked over to Opal, still not convinced.

-"Listen to Miss Beifong. Work with us and this will all be over a lot sooner."

"Fine," Korra eventually said, releasing the agent's hand that was still pinned under hers. She quickly threw down a few bills for the tea, and they were escorted out by Iroh and his men. Now that Korra was slightly less on edge, she had a chance to properly measure him up. Her original assessment of him being the biggest one with the most expensive suit still stood, but she also saw that he was quite handsome. A chiseled jaw and an immaculate haircut, coupled with his amber-brown eyes made him quite striking to look at.

They were taken out to an armored but unmarked GMC Tahoe, and were both directed inside. Iroh sat beside them, and the two other agents took the front seats. Korra saw her Audi drive away, making a mental note to send the Secret Service the bill if it was damaged.  _Not that it would matter much, you probably wouldn't even notice._

Unsurprisingly, they were driven towards the National Mall, which wasn't very far from where they were. They were driven onto the semi-circle of the White House's driveway, stopping right in front of the entrance. Iroh got out, and quickly walked around to open the door for them. "Follow me."

He led the girls through a metal detector and a maze of hallways, finally ending up in a small office which had a door at the far side at a strange angle. Iroh nodded at the secretary, who pressed a button on the phone on her desk. "They're here."

-"Good, send them through," a man on the other side said. Iroh nodded again, opening the door and preceding them into the Oval Office. "Mr. President," he said.

Korra and Opal followed him. President Raiko was just walking from behind his desk to the door the greet them. "You must be Korra, and you must be Opal," he said while shaking hands with both girls. "Thank you, Iroh, I can take it from here."

-"Sir," he nodded, and walked off, closing the door behind him.

-"Please, have a seat," he said, gesturing to the sofas. They were both still stunned that they suddenly shook hands with the President of the United States. Korra and Opal sat down on the same couch, while Raiko took a seat opposite of them. "Can I offer you some coffee?"

"No thanks, we were just having some before your men came in and took us away."  _You fucking idiot. Did you just give the President a big mouth?_

-"I needed to make sure I had your full attention," Raiko said.

"I think there are more subtle means than sending a squad of Terminators to kidnap us."  _You never learn, do you?_

Raiko burst out laughing at this. "Yes, I suppose there are, but time is of the essence here."

-"Mr. President, if I may, would you mind telling me why we are here?" Opal asked politely.

He took a deep breath. "You are here so that I can apologize to you, in person, for what Tarrlok did to you."

"You knew?" Korra was surprised.

-"Not the entire time. After he publicized your relationship, I connected the same dots your father did. Tarrlok abused his position, using the Secret Service to spy on you. That is not a regular part of their tasks, but he bought off or strong-armed the right people in order to keep it quiet."

 _Motherfucker, he knows._  "Could you back up a bit? You said my father connected the dots with Tarrlok. What did you mean with that?"

A slight smile tugged at his mouth. "The PRISM program is quite useful for gathering information on people. And when certain people are seriously looking around for dirt on the Vice President, you can safely assume that I know about it. You two, and your parents, were very,  _very_  thorough."

Opal and Korra shot each other a worried look, prompting President Raiko to grin again. "You don't need to worry. In fact, I think I owe you my gratitude."

-"What on earth are you talking about?" Opal asked.

-"Tarrlok has been a pain in my ass since I announced him as my running mate. I'm not telling you anything new when I say that he is deceiving and cunning, and worst of all, he'll stop at nothing if he stands to benefit. You have been at the receiving end of that."

"Then why did you choose him as your Vice President?"

-"Because he was popular in his home region and had large funds in his election budget. It was a marriage of necessity. Without his assets, I wouldn't have made it into this office, and without me, neither would he. He didn't have the national recognition that I did. But now that he is gone, I feel relieved. He undermined the administration, and I believe I have now found someone who can work with me and make it beneficial for the both of us."

Korra got curious now. "I get a feeling that you are aching to tell us who, sir."

Raiko smiled. "Very astute of you, Korra. I am tapping your father. If a Congressman can bring down a Vice President, he deserves the title for himself."

Korra was shocked. "Are you sure about that? I mean... Isn't he kind of controversial because of me?"

-"Not necessarily. Yes, there are bound to be people who are turned off by that. But on the other hand, he stood up for you with the entire country breathing down his neck. He defended you from the so-called establishment, because you are family. Everyone can understand someone who values his family."

-"Aren't you worried that he might come after you?" Opal asked.

-"I haven't done anything to upset him. And even if I did, when you make someone Vice President, I think it's safe to say it will even out. A man with his discretion and determination can be a valuable asset, or a powerful enemy."

"And you want to avoid him setting his sights on you next."

Raiko laughed again. "Well, there is certainly an element of self-preservation in there. Look at what he did so far. Unless we want to read the headlines: 'Izumi Showa first female President', I need to cover myself."

Opal leaned over to Korra. "Who's that?" she whispered.

"Speaker of the House, and third in line for the presidency. Not a very good one, from what I've heard."

-"I don't think she would make that a bad president, but I like this office too much to find out." Raiko looked at his watch. "Ladies, I'm afraid my time is up. We will have to end this conversation here. I hope you will accept my apology, for all the trouble Tarrlok caused you. If you step outside, Iroh will take you anywhere in the city you want to go." He smiled again. "My next meeting is with your father. I am about to inform him of his new job."

"You told us before you told him?"

-"Try to act surprised."

Korra stood up and shook his hand, shortly followed by Opal. "Thank you, Mr. President," she said. "And good luck."

-"You too, ladies. And please don't go after the rest of my staff. I am actually quite content with my administration."

They all laughed, and stepped outside again. Iroh took them back through the White House to the same GMC they arrived in,  _filthy vulgar thing that it is_ , to drive them back to Korra's home. This time though, no other agents went with them, and Opal and Korra were sat down on the back seat, while Iroh took the wheel. They drove for quite a bit before the girls fully processed what had just happened.

-"Well," Opal opened, "I can safely say I wasn't expecting  _this_  when I got up this morning."

"I'll say." Korra looked down at Opal's bare legs. "You know, I think this is the first time  _ever_ , that someone visited the President while wearing hot pants."

Opal looked down as well, and slammed her hands in front of her mouth while her face went bright red. "Oh my God, I completely forgot about that! Oh wow, this is embarrassing. I shook hands with the most powerful man in the world and gave him a free show while I was at it."

This made Korra laugh. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, it's not like they're indecent. Plus, I'd bet you any money he liked what he saw."

Opal's eyes sparkled while her mischievous grin appeared on her face again. "At least I'm not wearing a How To Train Your Dragon T-shirt."

 _Damn. She's right._  "Hey, in my defense, Toothless is one of very few things on this Earth cuter than you."

Opal smiled. "You're such a dork, you know that?"

"That's why you love me."

-"Touché." She pressed a quick kiss on Korra's cheek.

"Plus, Raiko should have given us fair warning, he shouldn't have just sent the T-1000 to get us."

-"I can hear you," Iroh said, clearly annoyed by his passengers.

-"What makes you think we care?" Opal asked, not very fond of Iroh's company either. He didn't answer, so the girls just went back to ignoring him. "Anyway, do you remember what we were talking about before RoboCop here took us away?"

"We were talking about you needing a break."

-"Yes we were, but I want you to be there with me."

"Do you want to go on a vacation with me?"

Opal smiled. "After everything that happened, yes."

-"We're here," Iroh interrupted them. They were standing in front of Korra's house again.  _For now. Not too long from now, we'll be living in the Naval Observatory._  Opal and Korra wasted no time getting out, and Iroh quickly drove off again.

-"Anyway," Opal continued, "I have the perfect destination in mind. If I could borrow your car, that'd be great, then I can arrange a flight."

"Opal, this is our thing, you don't have to do this by yourself, and you certainly don't have to pay for it alone."

-"How many times do I have to tell you: I'm a Beifong, money isn't a concern for me. I will take care of this." She put up her biggest, most adorable eyes. "Trust me."

 _Good luck saying no to those._  "Alright. Surprise me," Korra said, while handing over the keys of her Audi.

Opal smiled and took them, while pressing a chaste kiss on Korra's lips. "I'll be back. You just be ready."

She watched as Opal drove off, cringing at the grinding sound her clutch made.  _Maybe I can blame the Secret Service for that as well._  Korra walked back into the living room, where her mother was waiting for her. "Care to explain what today was all about?"

Korra rolled her eyes. "I'll have you know that for once, it wasn't my fault."

-"A giant man in a suit comes to our house in your car, rings the bell, hands me the keys, says nothing, turns around and steps into a black SUV. I tried calling you, but you didn't answer your phone. I was worried sick Korra!"

"Yes..."  _This just got awkward._  "I couldn't answer my phone. That shaved bear was with the Secret Service, who picked me and Opal up from my date... We were kind of forced to come along with them to talk to the President."

Senna's eyes nearly rolled out of their sockets from surprise, and Korra's smile widened. She told her mother the entire story, which reached a swift conclusion. "And any minute now, you'll get a call from dad."

-"Why would you suddenly say that?"

"I have my reasons. It won't take too long."

Her mother raised a questioning eyebrow, but went along with it anyway. "Well, if you say so, I'm just gonna have to brace myself."

 _You have no idea._  At that moment, Senna's phone rang. It was her father.  _Speak of the devil._  She answered, and with a few short 'Hmm's' and 'Uh-huhs' later, she hung up again. "Well, turns out you were right. He wants me to come to the Capitol straight away. He sounded serious, so I guess I have to go."

"I guess so. You go, I can manage here, and I doubt I know anything he doesn't."

-"You're being weird, Korra. It doesn't suit you."

"Trust me mom, in about twenty minutes, it'll make sense to you."

She shook her head in confusion, but was on her way soon enough.

Opal was the next to call her. "Hey sweetie, I got that flight I was talking about."

"Already?!"

-"Yeah, but there is a catch: either we go two hours from now, or we can't go until next week. I'm inclined to go with the one two hours from now."

"But what about everything else? Visa and stuff?"

-"Not necessary. We're not crossing any borders. Do you want it or not?"

 _Well, seems like a simple choice: a week with your girlfriend, away from Vice Presidents and psycho Secret Service Agents effective immediately, or wait it out. Why are you even thinking about this?!_  "Yeah, two hours from now."

-"Good, if you still have to pack, do that now. Pack for a week of warm weather, open shoes and bathing suits are mandatory.  _Verstehen_?"

"Whatever you say."

-"I'll be there in 45 minutes, so be ready, because otherwise we won't make it."

"Sounds like we are cutting it close."

-"Absolutely, now stop wasting time and get packing!"

She hung up, and Korra was more intrigued than anything. How the hell did Opal manage to arrange a flight in under an hour? And for that matter, where were they going in the first place? Deciding the best thing to do now was to trust Opal's judgement, Korra started packing. Warm weather was easy enough, since all those clothes were still in her closet. She shoved all sorts of clothes into a duffel bag, with a bit of margin for error in case of unexpected bad weather. A pair of All-Stars, and a few flip-flops should do it.

Opal was precisely on time, coming back in Korra's Audi as agreed. Korra took the wheel from her, in an attempt to save whatever was still left of her clutch.

-"Head to Dulles. I'll give you the proper directions once we get close."

On their way there, Korra tried to get her girlfriend to open up, but she was very tight-lipped, and didn't reveal a single piece of information about where they were going precisely. Once they got close to the airfield, Opal directed her onto all sorts of roads she had never been down.  _She sounds like she knows what she is doing, so here's hoping she won't steer us onto the runway to play chicken with a 747._

Ultimately though, she told Korra to stop in front of a hanger. Opal went inside, and opened up the main door just enough to let Korra's Audi slide in. What was in it blew Korra away.

As soon as she was in, Opal flicked on the lights, fully revealing what hiding in the dark. It was the sleek design of a private airplane. Korra got out, her expression matching that of her mother less than an hour ago. "You have  _got_  to be kidding me."

-"The Gulfstream G350, my mother's plane. We call her Poppy. She needs it tomorrow, so it has to be back here by then. That gives us just enough time to get where we want if we leave now."

Korra took a closer look, and realized that Opal really wasn't bluffing. The logo of The Metal Clan was painted on the tail, along with the same Chinese characters under it that were tattooed on Opal's chest.

-"Now come on, slowpoke, let's load up and go."

"You know that you don't have to show off like this, do you?"

Opal put her hands on Korra's shoulders. "If you think it's too ostentatious, just say it. I don't care where we go, as long as you like it. I'd be more than happy to just say 'screw it all', and go to a motel if that's what you want. This just seemed like some good fun to me."

"No no, that's not it, I just feel like you are doing this to impress me, which is completely not necessary."

She pressed a chaste kiss on Korra's lips. "I know. And I'm not doing this to impress you, but because it's the fastest and most comfortable way to get from A to B." Korra gave her a nod, signifying that she agreed. "Good! Then let's get our bags, and we can go sit down and watch Titanic."

Korra laughed. "Really? We're about to fly in a tin can and you want to watch a disaster movie?"

-"Titanic, not United 93. I have some experience with that."

 _Fair enough._  "Alright then, let's fly." They both got their stuff from the car, and went into the plane. It was incredibly spacious, unlike any airplane Korra had ever been on. The seats were made from the finest leather, with enough legroom to hold a Grand Slam in front of every single one of them. "Damn. After this, I am so screwed," Korra remarked.

-"Why is that?" Opal asked, not realizing what she meant.

"I can never fly commercial again. Look at all this room! Commercial flights always imagine us with no legs below the knees, but even my father would fit in these without any complaints."

Opal giggled. "Yeah, I guess so. Now get ready, we're about to take off."

Within a few minutes, they were in the air. Opal pulled Korra onto the couch in the back, and put up Titanic just like they agreed. In moves wholly unlike either of them, Opal only cried during 'Never let go', while Korra was the one to cry during 'Nearer My God to Thee', much to Opal's surprise.

The journey flew by, and before they knew it, the pilot announced to them that they were inbound to their destination. The girls both put their seatbelts back on, and when they touched down, the pilot stepped out to open the door. Opal stepped out first, and Korra followed suit.

The first thing she noticed was that it was hot. Very hot. It had been warm in DC, but that had  _nothing_  on this. Opal swirled around on the tarmac, happy to have finally arrived. "So what do you think? I always love it here!" she said with a ton of excitement in her voice.

"Will you now finally tell me where the hell 'here' is?"

Opal smiled. "Welcome to Puerto Rico."


	34. Best Vacation Ever

Korra opened her eyes, and was met with the whitest bed linens she had ever seen. She was lying on her right side, looking out a pair of open balcony doors, behind which lay a pearl white beach and an azure blue ocean. A gentle morning breeze carried in the lightly saline air of the sea. She rolled onto her back, not wondering where she was.

She realized she was not exactly dressed in her typical pajamas, which consisted of an old Age of Empires-shirt and a pair of the softest pants money could buy. In fact, she wasn't dressed at all.  _I wonder what happened to have made me end up here like this._

-"Good morning."

The voice came from the left, and it was clear to Korra who it was. She rolled onto her left side, and saw Opal standing there, dressed identically to Korra, save for one thing: she was wearing a pair of boyshorts, giving her an almost irresistible appeal. She was leaning against the wall with one hand, had the other in her side and her hip cocked. A sly grin lined her face, and her hair was dripping wet like she just came out of the shower.  _Motherfucker that's hot. I mean, WOW._

Korra let her eyes glide over Opal's body, taking in every visible inch of her well-defined legs, her toned stomach, her Metal Clan tattoo, her perky breasts, her adorable face, her emerald eyes, everything.

She slowly walked over to the bed, her hips seductively swaying with each step she took. Korra felt a surge of heat racing through her core as Opal came closer. When she had reached the bed, she pushed Korra gently onto her back by the shoulders, climbing on top of her in the process, one leg on either side of Korra's hips.

_My God, this girl is going to be the end of me._

Opal smiled. "I'm not going to kiss you, you have morning breath. But I will make it worth your while."

"You already did."

Her smile grew, while she leaned down, kissing Korra on the neck. She worked her way up to Korra's ear, nibbling the lobe, prompting Korra to gently moan.  _Sex before breakfast. I can think of worse ways to start my day._  Opal licked the skin just behind her ear, making Korra shiver.

But at the worst possible time, her phone rang. Korra would have been quite happy to chuck it out the window and into the sea, but Opal had different plans. "That's your dad. He already called three times this morning, and it's about time you answer him."

"I'll call him back. You just keep doing what you were doing."

Opal's eyes lit up with their bright green sparkle. "Trust me," she said, holding the phone next to Korra's ear. "I will."

Korra sighed and took the call. "Hey dad." She barely contained what would have been a very audible gasp as Opal suddenly pinched her nipple and kissed her on the neck again.  _She never had any intentions of stopping._

-"Korra, where the hell are you? We come home, you are gone, only a note to us saying you'll be gone for the week! I called Suyin, and she said you and Opal are gone  _with their private jet_!"

Her breath hitched again, as Opal left a hickey on her chest. "Yeah... We're in Puerto Rico..."

-" **PUERTO RICO**?!"

"What? We're still on domestic soil." Opal looked up and smiled as Korra was being a smartass. She moved further down, and gently started sucking on Korra's nipple. Feeling Opal's soft skin on her own was amazing, gentle and soft, yet the way she moved her hands made it feel determined. Korra bit her bottom lip hard to stop herself from moaning into the phone.  _God that feels good._

-"Don't give me attitude, Korra. Your mother and I were worried about you. The least you could have done was let us know before you flew 2000 miles away."

Opal kissed her way down Korra's stomach, finally setting on her lower lips. "Yeah..." Korra breathed. "But it was... Now or never."  _Holy shit, her tongue must have been touched by God himself to be_ this _good at the job at hand._

-"Why do you sound out of breath?"

She wanted to do nothing more than to toss her phone out of the window and spur Opal on. But Korra knew that her girlfriend was daring her to get as close to an orgasm as she could right under her father's nose.  _Two can play that game._  "We just..." Her breath hitched again. "Went for a morning run."

-"You go to a tropical island to go for a run? What are you taking me for, a moron?" Her father sternly demanded.

Opal kept eating her out, and it was becoming increasingly hard to hold her moans in and keep her father in the dark. Electricity was racing through her, making it difficult to keep thinking straight. "No, it's juUUst..." She gasped when Opal hit a particularly sensitive spot, and she thought she was done for. Fortunately, her father was decidedly unperceptive.

-"Alright, you know what? I'll call you back later today, so that you have a chance to screw your head on straight and we can have a meaningful conversation. I have some important news to share, and you cannot even bother to listen properly."

Korra was getting closer, she could feel it. "Okay dad..." she breathed into the microphone, hoping her father wouldn't notice it too much. "Later..." Korra ended the call, and dropped the phone next to her. "GOD THAT'S GOOD!" She ran her fingers through Opal's hair, and pressed her hips into her girlfriend's tongue.

Opal rubbed her nose past Korra's clit, sending a bolt of electricity through Korra's body. When she noticed how Korra gasped at this, Opal moved up slightly, licking the nub and sliding two fingers into her. This got another moan from Korra. "Ooh... Opal..." She looked up at this, smiling as she was pleased with her work.

She moved up, down, left, right, and spread her fingers out, each move getting a reaction from Korra. She felt the heat rise, the electricity surging as Opal worked her up. Involuntarily, Korra clenched up around Opal's fingers, but this didn't stop her.

She started moving her fingers faster and more vigorous, pushing Korra harder and farther. Meanwhile, Korra's breathing had become shallow and uneven, as she was drawing nearer to her climax.

All it took to push her over the edge was for Opal to curl up her magic fingers again.

"AAHH! OPAAAAAL!" Korra yelled, as she bucked her hips, unable to keep them on the bed. The orgasm ripped through her, and she felt like she had lost control over her own body. She collapsed back, as the bolts of electricity subsided again. Steadily, she calmed down again, even though Korra's breathing was still rather erratic.

Opal crawled back up Korra's body, and pressed a sweet kiss on her nose. "Wakey wakey..." she sarcastically said.

Korra chuckled. "I wouldn't mind waking up like that more often." She tried to kiss Opal, but the latter quickly turned away.

-"Eww, morning breath!"

"Sorry. I'll go brush my teeth, you stay right there." Korra threw the sheets aside and walked to the en suite bathroom, feeling  _pleased_  of all things, that she could almost feel Opal's eyes follow her around as she was waltzing naked through the room. It still felt exciting like they had only just met, yet the awkward tension was out of the air. It was strangely satisfying to know that Opal still got all fizzy when Korra was walking around like this.

Korra quickly brushed her teeth, and made her way back to the bed, where Opal was lying, quite content with herself.

-"You know, it's a real shame your dad didn't hear that. I would love to hear you bullshit your way out of that one," she smirked.

Korra contently let herself fall back on her pillow. "He would probably call in an airstrike on this place." This got her thinking. "Speaking of which, where is here? And why am I drawing a blank on last night?"

-"We may or may not have raided the wine cellar," Opal smirked. "And I made you take a handful of aspirin before bed, which is something you can thank me for now."

"That explains," Korra replied, while giving Opal a chaste kiss on the lips.

-"As to you other question, we are currently in my family's vacation home."

Korra raised a smug eyebrow. "And by 'home' I assume you mean 'villa'?"

-"We flew out here in our private jet, are you surprised?"

"I suppose not." A comfortable silence fell, in which Korra absentmindedly traced the lines of Opal's tattoo, tickling her as she went along. Korra gently pulled her in for a kiss, and Opal kissed her back. She slid her tongue past Opal's lips, and rolled them over so that Korra was on her back again.

Opal slowly pulled back, and a massive grin appeared on Korra's face. She noticed. "What is it?"

"Your turn..."

Opal smiled back, well aware of what was about to come.

The rest of the morning flew by. They decided it was past time to get out of bed when Tonraq called again, somewhere well past noon. Korra took it, but because Opal was not eating her out this time around, it was a lot easier to pay attention to what he was saying. He of course told her about the nomination, and Korra acted surprised, as was instructed by President Raiko.

This of course was just the start of their vacation. The spent the rest of the week doing everything that a tropical island allowed them to do: go on days to the beach,  _with more than one way to interpret the phrase 'gorgeous view'_ , visit beautiful fortresses built by the Spanish settlers in the 1500's,  _you're either a sucker for history or you aren't_ , enjoy the most breathtaking landscapes imaginable,  _during which absolutely **no**  laws concerning public indecency were violated_, and of course, spend every night in each other's arms.

A week on Puerto Rico was  _far_  too short, that much was obvious. The plane was about to arrive again, and the girls had packed their stuff. Korra lingered on the balcony for a bit, taking in the last view before they were going back to the airport. She was leaning on the railing, when the door behind her opened.

-"There you are," Opal said. "Ready to go?"

"We have a minute, don't we?"

Opal laughed. "Of course we do, that's kind of the point of having your own plane."

Korra laughed with her, while Opal stood next to her, leaning on the railing too. "Thank you for this," Korra said. "I had a great time here."

-"So did I."

Korra turned around, taking Opal's hand in her own. "But you know the best part?"

-"Let me guess..." Opal smirked, unable to repress the twinkle in her massive emerald eyes.

"I was here with you," Korra said, while a grin played on her face too. "And I know that sounds cheesy as hell, but it's true."

Opal laughed again. "You are such a dork, you know that?"

"I do, you told me over and over."

-"But you're my dork," Opal continued, while pressing a sweet kiss on Korra's cheek.

It was a heavenly feeling, Opal calling her hers. That was when she realized it. Korra chuckled as she did. "I'm so stupid. It's been hanging right in front of me all this time, and yet I never said it."

-"What is it?"

Korra pulled her in a little closer. "I love you, Opal."

A massive smile crept across Opal's features. "I love you too," she said, before pulling her into a long and searing kiss.

When they split again, Korra could only think one thing.

_Best. Vacation. Ever._

* * *

_And that was it for Team Player! I want to thank you all for reading it all the way in the first place, all the support I got from everyone, and all the positive reactions I got of it._

_There are a couple of people I want to name in particular: first of all[Fruipit](http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/User:Fruipit) , who was the one to pull me into reading and writing fanon in the first place. Second, [AvatarKya](http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/User:AvatarKya) and Elsbanana, both of whom were awesome enough to take time and use their considerable drawing skills to make their own art for this story. For those of you who haven't noticed it yet, it's above Chapter 1. Lastly, [Tono555](http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/User:Tono555), who proofread more than one chapter for me and nominated the story for Featured Fanon. Special thanks to all of you!_

_Since this is the last chapter, I'm giving myself the luxury of long author's notes, and I have two more things I want to say. The first is my main source of inspiration, namely[Elsa is Suffering](https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3172150/1/r9kElsa-Is-Suffering). As you have probably guessed, it's a Frozen story, but it was so unbelievably good that it just wouldn't leave my head, and it's what sparked the prompt in my head: Legend of Korra by way of Elsa is Suffering. The second is more of a confession, namely that I originally intended it to be Korrasami, and that I would later break up Korra and Opal. The reason I ultimately didn't do that was because I realized I was a massive pussy and didn't have the heart to do that, so I just continued Korra and Asami as friends._

_I will continue writing, just not this story. I have plenty of ideas, some of which I have already started working on. I want to expand and explore, and not just Team Player. As you probably already figured out, I actually finished this in April, but it never really occurred to me to publish it here on AO3 as well as on FFN, so there you go. The story I have also started writing is called All Are Equal, and I hope I'll see you again at that on._

_Take care guys!_


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